OSLO, Friday.
NORWEGIAN Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland resigned today as head
of a minority Labour Government, clearing the way for a centre-right
coalition to take power.
Brundtland, 50, Norway's first woman Prime Minister, formally handed
her Government's resignation to King Olav at his castle in central Oslo.
''It's best to have the new Government sorted out quickly,'' Jan Syse,
Conservative leader and Prime Minister-elect, told reporters as he
arrived at the castle, where the king asked him to form a Government.
Brundtland forged a reputation as an environmental champion and
fighter for women's rights during three difficult years of Government.
Honoured abroad but criticised at home, she stamped her authority on
Norwegian society and helped put the ''green'' cause onto the
international agenda.
She named seven other women to her Cabinet when she took power in
1986, claiming it as a world record. She also pushed through laws to
increase maternity leave and build more kindergartens.
Despite the Norway's worst economic recession since the Second World
War, Brundtland tried to avoid cutting the country's network of social
benefits and health care.
But the Norwegian media often condemned her domineering and hectoring
attitude, comparing it to the style of her British counterpart, Margaret
Thatcher.
Rarely prepared to admit in public that she is wrong, she reacts
sharply to criticism and those who know her say she has an explosive
temper.
She is best-known internationally for her work on the environment,
although Norwegian environmental groups have labelled her a hypocrite
and accused her of not doing enough about industrial and agricultural
pollution at home.
Brundtland's work since 1983 as chairman of the United Nation's World
Commission on Environment and Development helped bring her international
recognition.
During her time in power, she travelled around the world to preach the
''green gospel'', although newspapers and politicians said she was
abroad too often.
Some Norwegians have speculated that her aim is to become the first
woman UN secretary-general. Brundtland denies this.
Whatever her international successes, she has had more than enough
problems at home. When she took power in 1986, the price for Norway's
vital North Sea oil collapsed.
Although economists have credited her Government for much of the
recent economic recovery, the price has been record jobless levels of
around 4%, in a country where full employment has been an almost holy
tradition.
Norway's four million people clearly thought the price too high.
Labour turned in its worst performance since 1930 in last month's
national elections.
Brundtland has promised to be an active opposition leader. She clearly
relishes the prospect of taking on a centre-right coalition that faces
major internal policy differences and which does not even have a
parliamentary majority.
With some political pundits casting doubt on how long the coalition
may last, she could find herself back in the driving seat before too
long.--Reuter.
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