Iceland’s Independence Party held its preliminary elections this past weekend in anticipation of the national elections, scheduled for next spring. Prime Minister Geir H. Haarde will head the political list, while the second seat went to MP Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson after a heated battle with Minister of Justice Björn Bjarnason.
This was reported in all the main media.
The Independence Party and the Progressive Party make up the governing coalition government in Iceland. The number of registered IP party members in Reykjavík is 21,317, 50.88 percent of whom voted this weekend. According to party regulations, preliminary elections are binding if at least half of the registered party members cast their votes.
The Independence Party has frequently been criticized for ignoring women in its ranks in awarding coveted positions. Four out of the ten top seats determined in this weekend’s preliminary elections are held by women.
