SARPSBORG, Norway, May 11 (UPI) -- A Norwegian political party has chosen its candidate for a local election in Sarpsborg -- a man who has been dead for a year and a half.

The Christian Coalition Party's list of 13 candidates also includes five people who have asked to be removed from the list, Aftenposten reported Friday.

"We have never received a list like this before," said Sarpsborg Mayor Jan Engsmyr. "There is no preparation done here. The party should pull itself together and take this more seriously. Scraping together some names and sending in a list is fully legal, but it is customary to ask people first if they want to be on it."

The Christian Coalition Party's leader for Ostfold County, Kai Spydevold, said the party's nomination process is sound, but a mistake was made in nominating the dead man.

Deputy party leader Morten Sveven said he planned to call the family of the deceased candidate to apologize.