The Labour Party did win their majority through a series of free elections, but the opposition wanted to introduce referendums to balance Parliament.
[1] In several debates the centre-right opposition (Liberal, Christian Democratic, Centre, Conservative) was unanimous in their demand of constitutionalized referendums.
It was launched with an appeal from eight notable citizens: barrister Sven Arntzen, Chief Justice Paal Berg, director Gunnar Jahn, professor of medicine Jan Birger Jansen, national archivist Reidar Omang, lawyer Astri Rynning, chief physician Johan Scharffenberg and barrister Sigrid Stray.
In the early 1960s Scharffenberg was working on a book named Velgerne som statsmakt, which was to capture his ideas on referendums.
As de Gaulle stepped down, a third debate arose in the early 1970s, but the initiative fell after 53.5% voted against it in the 1972 Norwegian European Communities membership referendum.
[7] In 1984 Landsforbundet for folkeavstemning crafted a law proposal that was forwarded by Odd Einar Dørum, Oddleif Fagerheim, Hans Olav Tungesvik and Ola O. Røssum.