Chamber:
	Stortinget
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	10 September 1989 11 September 1989
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members’ term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	The election date was announced on 11 March 1988. The main challenger to the minority Government of Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland (Labour Party) – in power since May 1986 – for the enlarged Storting’s 165 seats was once again the Conservative Party, which had been the governing party for a brief period following the previous (September 1985) general elections and was led by Mr. Jan Syse. During a lively and somewhat divisive election campaign, the right-wing Progress Party, led by the charismatic Mr. Carl Hagen, criticized the traditional major opponents for the country’s economic woes (particularly unemployment, bankruptcies, high taxes, some of these difficulties being caused by the fall of world oil prices) and stressed the drawbacks of Norway’s welfare State; it also called for privatization of State companies and services, limiting immigration and a new moralism. The campaign climaxed with a televised debate between the leaders of all nine contending parties. Polling results proved inconclusive, as voters deserted the mainstream Labour and Conservative Parties and moved toward more extreme groups on both the right and the left. Labour won the most votes (though making its worst showing in years) but the populist Progress Party made the most substantial gains, rising to become the third largest Storting group. Seats were finely balanced between the socialist and non-socialist blocs, the latter obtaining a narrow majority of 84 but split by policy differences. On 13 October, Mrs. Brundtland resigned as Prime Minister. Three days later, Mr. Syse was appointed to lead a minority conservative-liberal coalition. He heads a 19-member Cabinet*. * Mrs. Brundtland once again became Prime Minister after Mr. Syse’s coalition resigned on 29 October 1990 over policy toward the European Community.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (10 and 11 September 1989): Elections results
Number of registered electors	3,190,311
Voters	2,653,173 (83.16%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers	5,569
Valid votes	2,647,604

Round no 1: Distribution of votes
Political Group	%
Labour Party	34.3
Conservative Party	22.2
Progress Party	13.0
Socialist Left Party	10.1
Christian People’s Party	8.5
Centre Party	6.5
Liberal Party	3.2
Independents	0.3
Others	1.9

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total	Gain/Loss
Labour Party	63	-8
Conservative Party	37	-13
Progress Party	22	+20
Socialist Left Party	17	+11
Christian People’s Party	14	-2
Centre Party	11	-1
Liberal Party	0	=
Independents	1	+1
Others	0	=

Comments:
	Eight seats added since last elections.

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	106
Women:	59