The problems facing the Prime Minister of Iceland grew more serious yesterday when it was revealed that two members of his government also had ties to companies in notorious tax-havens. Earlier this month the wife of the Prime Minister admitted that she owned a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. These revelations have intensified calls for the resignation of the Prime Minister and new elections. Mass protests have been announced in front of the house of Parliament next Monday.
Three government ministers have ties to tax-havens
Yesterday the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV revealed it had sources confirming that in addition to the PM the Minister of Finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the conservative Independence Party, and Ólöf Nordal, the Minister of the Interior, also a member of the Independence party, had ties to companies in notorious tax-havens. Leaders of the political opposition in parliament are considering introducing a motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister, according to the local news site visir.is.
Read more: Prime Minister in hot water after his wife admits to owning a mysterious off-shore
Svandís Svavarsdóttir, of the Left-Green Movement told visir.is that it was “completely unacceptable” that government ministers have ties to off-shore companies in tax-havens. Árni Páll Árnason, the chairman of the Social democratic Alliance said it was intolerable that political leaders thought they could “refuse to share the same reality as other citizens.”
Mass protests are planned, thousands sign petition calling for PM’s resignation
More than 13.000 people have already signed an online petition calling on the PM to resign. Two activist groups, Jæja, a term which can be used as an exasperated “That does it!”, and Skiltakarlarnir (“The sign-making guys”, have announced they are planning a mass protest in front of the Parliament next week on Monday April 4 when parliament reconvenes after the Easter break. The protesters will gather on Austurvöllur square on at 17:00. The protests cites the recent revalations of the government's connections to tax havens as well as a number of other controversial cases and accusations of corruption.
The problems facing the Prime Minister of Iceland grew more serious yesterday when it was revealed that two members of his government also had ties to companies in notorious tax-havens. Earlier this month the wife of the Prime Minister admitted that she owned a company registered in the British Virgin Islands. These revelations have intensified calls for the resignation of the Prime Minister and new elections. Mass protests have been announced in front of the house of Parliament next Monday.
Three government ministers have ties to tax-havens
Yesterday the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV revealed it had sources confirming that in addition to the PM the Minister of Finance, Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the conservative Independence Party, and Ólöf Nordal, the Minister of the Interior, also a member of the Independence party, had ties to companies in notorious tax-havens. Leaders of the political opposition in parliament are considering introducing a motion of no-confidence in the Prime Minister, according to the local news site visir.is.
Read more: Prime Minister in hot water after his wife admits to owning a mysterious off-shore
Svandís Svavarsdóttir, of the Left-Green Movement told visir.is that it was “completely unacceptable” that government ministers have ties to off-shore companies in tax-havens. Árni Páll Árnason, the chairman of the Social democratic Alliance said it was intolerable that political leaders thought they could “refuse to share the same reality as other citizens.”
Mass protests are planned, thousands sign petition calling for PM’s resignation
More than 13.000 people have already signed an online petition calling on the PM to resign. Two activist groups, Jæja, a term which can be used as an exasperated “That does it!”, and Skiltakarlarnir (“The sign-making guys”, have announced they are planning a mass protest in front of the Parliament next week on Monday April 4 when parliament reconvenes after the Easter break. The protesters will gather on Austurvöllur square on at 17:00. The protests cites the recent revalations of the government's connections to tax havens as well as a number of other controversial cases and accusations of corruption.
