Icelandic Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson did not turn up to participate in the second parliamentary session discussing the coming year’s budget yesterday, turns out he left the country to go on holiday without notifying anyone at his place of work, reports DV.
It is believed he has left the country to celebrate his wife’s birthday.
The Prime Minister’s office has repeatedly ignored DV’s request for a list of all the vacation days Sigmundur Davíð has taken since becoming prime minister. According to DV’s sources it is considerably more than former prime minister, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, took.
“This is unacceptable,” wrote former MP, Margrét Tryggvadóttir. “Sigmundur Davíð has been in parliament long enough to know that, a) You can’t make plans to go abroad in the middle of December, and b) If you can’t make it to work you notify someone in the office, and c) Parliamentary law requires all members of parliament participate in parliamentary proceedings unless they have expressed permission or a legitimate reason for their absence. Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir couldn’t even excuse herself to go to the bathroom before Mr. Sigmundur was on the podium complaining about it.”
This is the busiest time of year for parliament as attempts to finish all outstanding business before the end of the year are made.
According to DV, Sigmundur Davíð has more advisors and assistants than previous prime ministers, seven in all.
UPDATE
Following the publication of this article the Government’s Press Secretary contacted the Grapevine to inform us that those who the matter concerned had been made aware of Sigmundur Davíð’s holiday plans, but that somehow this information had not made it to parliament.
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