Greenland mourns political pioneer

Lars Chemnitz, Greenland’s first speaker of the legislative assembly, died on Nov. 18 after a long illness. He was 81.

Chemnitz was a member of Greenland’s legislature from 1979 to 1984 and again from 1988 to 1995. He served as the speaker from 1979 to 1984.

Chemnitz also had been involved in Greenlandic politics since 1971 and served as chair of Greenland’s council from 1971 to 1979.

“My friend and colleague – a big parliamentarian, political leader and pioneer passed away,” wrote the current speaker for legislative assembly, Jonathan Motzfeldt in a news release on Chemnitz.