Iceland’s Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, met with President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence, at noon.
According to news website Vísir, the PM spoke with finance minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, this morning. Following their meeting, Sigmundur Davíð declared on Facebook that he’d be willing to dissolve the parliament and call for a general election should Bjarni’s party, the Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn), decide that it could no longer support him.
Some fellow Progressive party members were taken aback by the announcement. Karl Garðarsson, told the National Broadcasting Service, that Sigmundur Davíð should have discussed the matter with party members before making a public statement.
President Ólafur Ragnar hurried back to Iceland yesterday from the United States as the scandal made international headlines. Asked whether the situation were dire, the president answered: “One does not need to be very knowledgeable to answer this question with a simple ‘yes’.”
Updated at 1 pm:
President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has denied Sigmundur Davíð’s request to dissolve the parliament. During a press conference held at Bessastaðir, Ólafur Ragnar said he could not agree to the PM’s request before discussing with finance minister and leader of the Icelandic Independence Party, Bjarni Benediktsson, as well as opposition leaders.
It seems as though the PM took the decision on his own accord, without communicating with his fellow party members.
Iceland’s Prime Minister, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, met with President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson at Bessastaðir, the presidential residence, at noon.
According to news website Vísir, the PM spoke with finance minister, Bjarni Benediktsson, this morning. Following their meeting, Sigmundur Davíð declared on Facebook that he’d be willing to dissolve the parliament and call for a general election should Bjarni’s party, the Independence Party (Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn), decide that it could no longer support him.
Some fellow Progressive party members were taken aback by the announcement. Karl Garðarsson, told the National Broadcasting Service, that Sigmundur Davíð should have discussed the matter with party members before making a public statement.
President Ólafur Ragnar hurried back to Iceland yesterday from the United States as the scandal made international headlines. Asked whether the situation were dire, the president answered: “One does not need to be very knowledgeable to answer this question with a simple ‘yes’.”
Updated at 1 pm:
President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has denied Sigmundur Davíð’s request to dissolve the parliament. During a press conference held at Bessastaðir, Ólafur Ragnar said he could not agree to the PM’s request before discussing with finance minister and leader of the Icelandic Independence Party, Bjarni Benediktsson, as well as opposition leaders.
It seems as though the PM took the decision on his own accord, without communicating with his fellow party members.
