The meeting of PM Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson is over. The president just gave a press conference where he stated he had declined to accept Sigmundur’s request for permission to dissolve parliament. Difficulties within the coalition were apparent when the prime minister threatened on his Facebook page this morning he would dissolve parliament if the Independence Party did not have the courage to support the government in completing its projects. The crisis is the result of revelations made about Sigmundur’s connection to a company in Tortola, which came to light following a leak of documents from a notorious Panama law firm.
In his opinion such a request could not be granted unless he knew there was support for the dissolution within both coalition parties. He said he was unaware of the Independence Party’s position. His plan is to meet with Finance Minister Bjarni Benediktsson later today.
Ólafur Ragnar said he wanted to find a successful solution to protect the reputation of the country.
Sigmundur would not speak to reporters as he left the president’s residence.
According to MP Karl Garðarsson, members of the Progressive Party were not consulted before the prime minister threatened to dissolve parliament.
RÚV asked the heads of all parties for their opinion of the suggestion of the dissolution of parliament. ”If I were a marriage consultant, I would say the marriage is over,” Katrín Jakobsdóttir, head of the Left-Green Movement said of the coalition government of the Progressive Party and the Independence Party.
When asked if the prime minister was trying to force the Independence Party to cooperate by threatening to dissolve parliament, MP Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, the Independence Party, said “No one beats the party to submission.” He said the interest of the nation had to be a priority.
Birgitta Jónsdóttir, head of the Pirate Party, reiterated that the prime minister should resign.
Head of Bright Future Óttarr Proppé described the situation Sigmundur is in as an “ethical shipwreck.”
