A proposal submitted in parliament to reject another proposal calling for the close of the trial of former prime minister Geir H. Haarde was narrrowly defeated, thus opening the way for a vote on the conservative-led proposal.
As reported, a proposal was submitted last year by Independence Party chairman Bjarni Benediktsson to drop charges of mismanagement and negligence that led to the economic crash of autumn 2008 against Geir H. Haarde. Geir has maintained his innocence throughout, and the proposal to close his trial has been gaining support from within the ruling coalition as well.
However, four MPs – each representing every party in parliament except the conservatives – submitted a proposal that would have rejected Bjarni’s proposal. In the end, Eyjan reports, it was defeated 31 to 29.
The MPs who voted against the proposal, apart from every member of the Independence Party and all but two members of the Progressives, are Ásta Ragnheiður Jóhannesdóttir, Árni Páll Árnason, Kristján L. Möller and Össur Skarphéðinsson of the Social Democrats; Guðfríður Lilja Grétarsdóttir, Ögmundur Jónasson, and Jón Bjarnason of the Leftist-Greens; and with no parliamentary party affiliation, Atli Gíslason, and Lilja Mósesdóttir.
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