The Constitutional Council, which is currently working on a draft for a new Icelandic Constitution, has presented radical ideas on how the government should be appointed and for how long its leader, the prime minister, should be in office.
The Constitutional Council. Photo by Páll Kjartansson.
One idea includes that the parliament, Althingi, elect the prime minister who then appoints other ministers of his or her cabinet, ruv.is reports. Currently, the leader of the party receiving the majority of votes usually becomes prime minister.
It was also proposed that no one should serve as prime minister for longer than ten years and that a vote of no confidence should always be accompanied by a suggestion of a successor for the prime minister.
These ideas are modeled on the constitutions of Germany and Sweden, among other constitutions.
Other novelties that have been discussed by the Constitutional Council is that Iceland’s natural resources should be the nation’s joint possession and that they should remain in the nation’s ownership forever.
The natural resources should be harnessed in a sustainable manner and at full price, the council proposes, and they should never be sold or used as collateral.
Click here to read more about the Constitutional Council.
