PM's office says President is being untruthful

Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson leaving Bessastaðir today following a meeting with …

Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson leaving Bessastaðir today following a meeting with President Grímsson. The subject of the meeting is currently being disputed. Iceland Monitor/ Eggert Jóhannesson

A formal request for a dissolution of the Icelandic Parliament was not presented to the President of Iceland according to a press release from the Prime Ministry. President Grímsson however says that the PM asked him to sign the dissolution papers. 

The announcement from the Prime Ministry says that the PM and the President met at Bessastaðir, the President's residence just before noon today. At the meeting the PM informed the President of the current situation in Icelandic politics and that he was going to propose a dissolution of Parliament and that elections would be called if it came to light that the government no longer held support. 

President Grímsson however has retorted to this statement to a journalist of mbl.is that Gunnlaugsson had brought the dissolution papers which he had demanded of him to sign. 

Update at 8 pm: 

President Grímsson has responded to the PM office's statement saying that he believes Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson had the intention today, he believes, to "use this as a weapon" to use in negotiations with the leader of the Independence Party, Bjarni Benediktsson and that he draws no other conclusion than that Gunnlaugsson was asking for a dissolution of Parliament, having been accompanied by officials from the PM's office and carrying the appropriate papers to sign. Grímsson further added that following his own meeting with Benediktsson later this afternoon, this conclusion was strengthened further. 

Weather

Partly cloudy

Today

3 °C

Clear sky

Tomorrow

3 °C

Clear sky

Saturday

2 °C