Largest Share Of Icelanders Want Parliamentary Dissolution

The largest share of Icelanders polled want parliament to dissolve at once, and earlier elections than the government proposes.

While a proposal for parliamentary dissolution and earlier elections was defeated yesterday by every member of the ruling coalition except for Independence Party MP Unnur Brá Konráðsdóttir, the largest share of Icelanders responding to a new Maskína poll believe parliament should dissolve, and earlier elections should begin.

50.7% expressed support for the idea, with 25.6% supporting elections in the fall, as the ruling coalition has proposed (while still not giving an exact date), and 23.3% believing elections should be held at their scheduled time, in late spring 2017. Another poll, from the University of Iceland, had very similar results.

While Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson has been replaced as Prime Minister by Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson, Sigmundur will remain on as a regular member of parliament. However, that same University of Iceland poll shows that 80% of respondents believe he should resign from his seat altogether. 64% also said that Minister of Finance Bjarni Benediktsson should resign, and 60% said the same of Minister of the Interior Ólöf Nordal – all of whom have been implicated in the Panama Papers leak.

At the time of this writing, over 14,000 protesters are gathered in front of parliament, calling for parliamentary dissolution – something the opposition has vowed to continue pushing for as well.

For more on this continuing story, follow our Panama Papers tag on Grapevine.is/news.