From Iceland — Still No Government In Iceland

Still No Government In Iceland

Published January 28, 2009

The Social Democratic Alliance and the Left Green are yet to decide on the form their proposed minority government (backed by the Progressive party) will take. The parties’ representatives met up again at 10 AM this morning to continue formal discussions and are at the time of writing expected to announce their coalition this evening or tomorrow morning.
Their formal discussions commenced yesterday with a four-hour meeting, with discussions continuing in the parties’ various councils throughout the night. According to a Morgunblaðið report, the parties’ main disagreements revolve around the proposed time of election – with Left Greens requesting elections in the beginning of April and the Social Dems aiming for late May – as well as the Left Green’s demands that laws allowing for the temporary freezing of assets of wealthy businessmen that are suspected of causing in part and/or taking advantage of Iceland’s current economic woes.
Morgunblaðið furthermore quotes an unnamed source in saying that the parties have reached agreements on most terms, including plans to replace the Central Bank of Iceland’s managers and an emergency plan to save Icelandic homes and businesses to falling prey to debt.
Speaking of the Central Bank of Iceland, The Times Online question if Central Bank Manager Davíð Oddsson is the most hated man in Iceland in a recent article you might enjoy.
The Economist then displays some brilliant wordplay in their assessment of the situation in the cunningly entitled Not-so nice land.
Also check out what frequent Grapevine contributor Ben H. Murray has to say about it all in The Guardian.
 

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