Moderate politician drops out after death threat jibe
Christer Nordin, a Moderate party politician from Båstad in southern Sweden has withdrawn his candidacy for the upcoming local elections, despite claiming that a threat to kill a journalist was uttered in jest.
"I have deliberated back and forth, and looked at all the aspects. After mature reflection I have decided to withdraw from the ballot," Nordin told the local Helsingborgs Dagblad daily.
Nordin has been reported to the police by Sveriges Television's (SVT) Sydnytt regional news programme, alleging that he threatened to murder one of the public broadcaster's staff.
The reporter had called Nordin and asked for an interview about the fact that the council had not provided a 25-year-old autistic man with appropriate housing, despite being ordered to do so years earlier.
Nordin refused to be interviewed, saying he couldn’t comment on individual cases, but he continued to talk to the journalist. During the conversation he made several uncomplimentary comments about the autistic man’s family.
At the end of the conversation, the politician asked the journalist not to publish any of his comments about the family.
“If you do so, I will murder you,” the politician is reported to have said.
Nordin declined to withdraw from the ballot list on which he held the second place, meaning he would most likely be re-elected to the municipal council.
“This is just my way of speaking. Of course it was a joke," he explained to news agency TT at the time.
On Wednesday fellow Moderate Party delegates in Båstad called on Nordin to step down, and he again refused and as a result sustained stern criticism from party colleagues.
Christer Nordin told SVT's Sydnytt that he has now changed his position on the matter for the sake of the party, and of himself.
"I have to take care of myself now," he said.
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"I have deliberated back and forth, and looked at all the aspects. After mature reflection I have decided to withdraw from the ballot," Nordin told the local Helsingborgs Dagblad daily.
Nordin has been reported to the police by Sveriges Television's (SVT) Sydnytt regional news programme, alleging that he threatened to murder one of the public broadcaster's staff.
The reporter had called Nordin and asked for an interview about the fact that the council had not provided a 25-year-old autistic man with appropriate housing, despite being ordered to do so years earlier.
Nordin refused to be interviewed, saying he couldn’t comment on individual cases, but he continued to talk to the journalist. During the conversation he made several uncomplimentary comments about the autistic man’s family.
At the end of the conversation, the politician asked the journalist not to publish any of his comments about the family.
“If you do so, I will murder you,” the politician is reported to have said.
Nordin declined to withdraw from the ballot list on which he held the second place, meaning he would most likely be re-elected to the municipal council.
“This is just my way of speaking. Of course it was a joke," he explained to news agency TT at the time.
On Wednesday fellow Moderate Party delegates in Båstad called on Nordin to step down, and he again refused and as a result sustained stern criticism from party colleagues.
Christer Nordin told SVT's Sydnytt that he has now changed his position on the matter for the sake of the party, and of himself.
"I have to take care of myself now," he said.
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