Polls opened on Tuesday in an election to the Inatsisartut, Greenland’s legislative body.
40,000 are eligible to vote in the election for Greenland’s 31-seat parliament.
Polls are set to close at 8 p.m. local time (2200 UTC).
Ballot counting could take weeks as votes from remote areas must be transported by boat, plane, and helicopter.
While healthcare and education remain central campaign issues, discussions about Greenland’s future relationship with Denmark have dominated the election.
Currently, Greenland is a self-governing territory under Danish control, with Copenhagen managing its foreign affairs, defense, and monetary policy.
Pro-independence supporters hope for a strong mandate that could accelerate Greenland’s path toward full sovereignty.
Greenlanders react to Trump’s plan ahead of electionTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Why does this election matter internationally? The election has drawn global attention, partly due to US President Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts to influence the island’s political landscape.
During his second term, Trump has once again expressed strong interest in Greenland, declaring his intention to gain control over the Arctic territory “one way or the other.”
His last-minute efforts and statements to sway the election have sparked both astonishment and rejection from Greenlanders.
Greenland has been moving toward greater autonomy since 2009, but Trump’s repeated claims have created uncertainty about the island’s future.
“I think most of us have been scared since the new year because of [Trump’s] interest,” Pipaluk Leynge, a member of parliament from the ruling Inuit Ataqatigiit party, told The Associated Press news agency.
Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., made a private visit to Greenland earlier in the yearImage: Email Stach/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/Getty Images Opinion polls suggest most Greenlanders do not support becoming part of the United States.
Beyond security concerns, economic factors may also be driving US interest in Greenland.
The island is believed to have valuable deposits of oil, gas, gold, uranium, and zinc, particularly in its southern regions. As climate change alters Greenland’s ecological landscape, these resources may become easier to extract, increasing the island’s geopolitical significance.
Trump’s Greenland ambitions increase focus on mineralsTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Edited by: Saim Dušan Inayatullah
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