From Iceland — Elections Date Still Shrouded In Uncertainty

Elections Date Still Shrouded In Uncertainty

Published July 26, 2016

Andie Sophia Fontaine
Photo by
Art Bicnick

Several opposition parties have ruled out working with the Independence Party, but when elections will be held is still uncertain.

The latest poll from Market and Media Research shows that the Pirate Party is in the lead, at 26.8%; support for the Independence Party is at 24%; the Left-Greens are at 12.9%; Viðreisn (a centrist party formed only last spring) is at 9.4%; the Social Democrats have 8.4%; the Progressives are at 8.3%; and Bright Future are at 3.9%.

As early elections have been slated for this autumn – although no exact date has yet been set – there has been much speculation about which parties might form a ruling coalition. While a clearer picture will not be available until after elections are held, Kjarninn reports that party leadership of the Pirates, the Left-Greens and the Social Democrats have all avowed to not enter into any coalition with the Independence Party.

While the date for early elections is still unknown, RÚV points out that if the ruling coalition intends to hold elections before the end of October, the President will need to dissolve parliament no later than mid-October.

Despite repeated assurances from MPs of the ruling coalition that there will be elections this autumn, RÚV also reports that Progressive Party chairperson Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson has emphasised that there will be no elections until the ruling coalition gets to pass all the major legislation that it hopes to push through – a sentiment also held by Minister of Finance and Independence Party chairperson Bjarni Benediktsson.

As such, when elections will actually be held is still uncertain.

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