Iceland to hold early parliamentary vote in October

REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Iceland will hold early parliamentary elections in October, the government said Thursday, August 11, in a move triggered by the so-called Panama Papers scandal that forced the prime minister to resign.

The Panama Papers trove of leaked documents revealing the vast extent of global tax evasion implicated several senior Icelandic politicians, prompting major protests in the tiny island nation.

Although then-prime minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned after the leak in April, becoming the first major figure to fall from grace over the scandal, his government has remained in place.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson asked the leaders of the parties represented in parliament to agree on a date – 6 months ahead of the scheduled parliamentary vote.

“We intend to hold the election on October 29,” he told public television channel RUV. “Judging by how matters progressed in parliament this spring and summer, we expect that that will happen.”

While Iceland has rarely seen the level of political outrage that saw people mass in the streets of the North Atlantic island for days in April, analysts say it’s difficult to tell which side has a higher chance of winning this time.

Conservative voters remain loyal to the ruling center-right’s coalition partner, the Independence Party, recent opinion polls show.

In the opposition, the Pirate Party, founded in 2012, will be campaigning on a radical ticket for more transparency, institutional reform and a clampdown on corruption.

In a presidential election in June, political newcomer Gudni Johannesson won after riding a wave of anti-establishment sentiment. – Rappler.com