Independence Party
Vilhjálmur Þ. Vilhjálmsson
Current position: Independence Party leader for City Council, board member of Reykjavík City Harbour, board member of the National Power Company.
Platform highlights: Improving children’s education and the living conditions of the elderly, lowering taxes, developing downtown Reykjavík, and building apartments on the island of Geldingarnes.
Strange but true: On learning that he had won the first seat for the Independence Party, Vilhjálmsson sang for his supporters.
For more information: http://www.betriborg.is/stefnan/
Leftist-Green Party
Svandís Svavarsdóttir
Current position: Leftist-Green leader for City Council.
Platform highlights: Strengthening school system, making preschool free, making school meals free, lower cost of after-school programs, strengthening public transportation, eliminating the wage difference between genders, supporting multiculturalism.
Strange but true: Is also an expert in sign language.
For more information: http://www.vgreykjavik.is
Liberal Party
Ólafur Magnússon
Current position: Liberal Party leader for City Council.
Platform highlights: Improve services for the elderly and the disabled, remove Reykjavík’s involvement in the Kárahnjúkar dam project, combine smaller voting districts into a few larger ones, increase police presence on the streets, lower taxes.
Strange but true: Is the only Liberal on City Council – a seat that would be lost if elections were held today.
For more information: http://www.f-listinn.is
Progressive Party
Björn Ingi Hrafnsson
Current position: Vice MP for Jónína Bjartmarz, assistant to Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson, chairman of the Prime Minister’s Family Committee.
Platform highlights: A safer city, increasing building areas in Reykjavík, free city bus service for the elderly, students, and the disabled, increasing financial support to parents, looking into whether or not school uniforms for grade school children would be a good idea, make pre-schools free.
Strange but true: Sources close to the Grapevine tell us that former Stöð 2 reporter Eggert Skúlason opened a speech he made to Hrafnsson supporters on the occasion of his first seat victory with the sentence, “We gave it to them up the ass!”
For more information: http://www.bjorningi.is/
Social Democratic Party
The Social Democratic primaries were held 11 and 12 February. The candidates at the time of this writing were:
Steinunn Valdís Óskarsdóttir
Current position: Mayor of Reykjavík.
Platform highlights: Taking better care of the elderly, developing Reykjavík, raising the salaries of the lowest income earners, making pre-school free.
Strange but true: Appeared as a guest columnist on the website Tíkin (“the bitch”).
For more information: http://www.steinunnvaldis.is
Dagur B. Eggertsson
Current position: Member of City Council, chairman of the Reykjavík Planning Committee, chairman of the project Young Europeans Against Drugs.
Platform highlights: Development and rejuvenation of Reykjavík, reform of traffic system, elimination of the wage difference between genders, development of job prospects, physical education and arts courses in school, parent associations in five different primary schools.
Strange but true: While in City Council, Eggertsson did not represent any political party, and has still not officially joined the Social Democratic party.
For more information: http://www.dagur.is/
Stefán Jón Hafstein
Current position: Social Democrat leader on City Council.
Platform highlights: Making pre-school and grade school free while bringing secondary schools under the control of the city, improving the overall education of children, development of the city, strengthening of neighbourhood committees.
Strange but true: Proposed that Icelandic be taught in preschools, that information for parents be translated into their native languages, and that staff be trained to show children of different cultures greater sensitivity.
For more information: http://www.stefanjon.is
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