Voting has concluded on the proposal of no confidence put forward by The Movement MP Þór Saari last week, and the motion has failed to secure a majority of support in parliament, RÚV reports.
Thirty-two MP’s voted against the movement, 29 voted for it, while one MP was absent and another, Jón Bjarnason formerly for the Left-Green Movement, was neutral on the matter.
MP’s engaged in heated debates on the motion all morning ahead of the 14:45 vote. Thirty-three MP’s took the podium to contribute to the lengthy discussion, including Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, who said that she was astonished by Þór’s motion; and Bjarni Benediktsson, chairman of the opposition Independence Party.
Of her ‘yes’ vote, Birgitta Jónsdóttir said “I hope this vote of ‘yes’ will not be the vote to collapse the government,” clarifying that she did not wish to stop the constitutional process, however she had lost trust.
During the debates Progressive Party MP Gunnar Bragi Sveinsson criticized the coalition government for emphasizing the rebuilding of the financial system rather than focusing on the financial security of households. He also harshly criticized the government for emphasizing the constitution, as the constitution would not cause another collapse.
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