Representatives of the website kjosa.is, where more than 8,500 people have signed a petition demanding a referendum on the Icesave legislation passed by parliament on Friday, will formally hand the petition over to President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson today.
President of Iceland Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
In the petition, the president is challenged to enforce a referendum by vetoing the legislation, Fréttabladid reports.
“We are not taking a stand with or against [the legislation] but are only asking that the public, which will have to pay for this Icesave scandal, has something to say about who will shoulder that responsibility,” said Hjörtur Hjartarson, one of the website’s representatives.
“State guarantee because of the agreements can disturb the life of the nation extensively in many years to come while rejecting the responsibility can also have severe consequences,” Hjartarson stated. “The most important thing in the current situation is that society reconciles on the matter.”
“First and foremost we hope that the president accepts the arguments provided in the challenge and that as many people as possible will support us,” Hjartarson concluded. The petition will be submitted at 3 pm.
The legislation authorizes a state guarantee for the loans granted by the governments of the UK and the Netherlands to the Depositors’ and Investors’ Guarantee Fund of Iceland so that Iceland can compensate Landsbanki’s Icesave depositors.
Click here to read more about the Icesave legislation.
