REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Icelanders voted to choose a brand-new parliament Saturday after disagreements over migration, energy policy and the economy required Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to pull the plug on his union federalgovernment and call an early election.
All ballot stations handled to open inspiteof intense weathercondition in the sub-Arctic country that left roadways in lotsof locations obstructed by snow. Ballot-counting started after surveys closed at 10 p.m. regional time (2200GMT), with results anticipated early Sunday.
This is Iceland’s 6th basic election because the 2008 monetary crisis ravaged the economy of the North Atlantic island country and ushered in a brand-new age of political instability.
Opinion surveys recommended the nation might be in for another turmoil, with assistance for the 3 governing celebrations plunging. Benediktsson, who was called prime minister in April following the resignation of his predecessor, hadahardtime to hold together the notlikely union of his conservative Independence Party with the centrist Progressive Party and the Left-Green Movement.
“My expectation is like, something brand-new (is) going to takeplace, ideally,” stated Hörður Guðjónsson, ballot in the capital, Reykjavik. “We constantly have had these old celebrations taking care of things. I hope we see the light now to come in with a moreyouthful individuals, brand-new concepts.”
Iceland, a country of about 400,000 individuals, is proud of its democratic customs, explaining itself as perhaps the world’s earliest parliamentary democracy. The island’s parliament, the Althingi, was established in 930 by the Norsemen who settled the nation.
Voters are picking 63 members of the Althingi in an election that will designate seats both by local constituencies and proportional representation. Parties requirement at least 5% of the vote to win seats in parliament. Eight celebrations were represented in the outbound parliament, and 10 celebrations are objectingto this election.
Turnout is generally high by worldwide requirements, with 80% of signedup citizens casting ballo