1979 Greenlandic general election

{{Short description|none}}

{{Infobox legislative election

| election_name = 1979 Greenlandic general election

| country = Greenland

| ongoing = no

| seats_for_election = All 21 seats in the Inatsisartut

| majority_seats = 11

| previous_election = 1975

| next_election = 1983

| election_date = {{Start date|1979|4|4|df=yes}}

| turnout = 69.58%

| leader1 = Jonathan Motzfeldt

| party1 = Siumut

| last_election1 = New

| seats1 = 13

| percentage1 = 46.12%

| leader2 = Lars Chemnitz

| party2 = Atassut

| last_election2 = New

| seats2 = 8

| percentage2 = 41.69%

| map = 1979 Greenland general election - Results (by constituency).svg

| map_caption = Results by constituency

| title = Governor

| posttitle = Prime Minister

| before_election = Hans Lassen

| before_party = Independent politician

| after_election = Jonathan Motzfeldt

| after_party = Siumut

}}

{{Politics of Greenland}}

General elections were held in Greenland on 4 April 1979,Tom Lansford (2014) Political Handbook of the World 2014, CQ Press, p393 the first election to the new Inatsisartut after the introduction of home rule. The result was a victory for the separatist and left wing Siumut, which won 13 of the 21 seats in the Parliament, over the unionist and moderate Atassut.[http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/greenland2.html Greenland] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130722042650/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/greenland2.html |date=2013-07-22 }} Parties and Elections The difference in seats won became relatively large because of the use of first past the post in five constituencies in northern and eastern Greenland, which were all won by Siumut, while the two parties split the 16 seats in the multi member constituencies in Western Greenland evenly. As a result of the election Jonathan Motzfeldt from Siumut became the first head of government in Greenland. No party has won a majority of seats in the Inatsisartut since.