Icelanders go to the polls on 29 October

Icelanders will vote for 63 MPs on 29 October.

Icelanders will vote for 63 MPs on 29 October. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Eggert Jóhannesson

Early general elections have been called for the Icelandic Parliament (‘Alþingi’), with the eagerly awaited date set for Saturday 29 October.

Leaders of the political parties currently represented at Alþingi met last Thursday afternoon to discuss the issue, after which an announcement was made confirming the date.

According to the normal timetable, Iceland should not be having general elections until next year, 2017. However, the Panama Papers scandal which rocked the Icelandic political establishment back in April and toppled the Prime Minister led to calls for immediate elections.

MORE: Politics in Iceland: A beginner’s guide

This did not come to pass, but the current government clung to power suggesting elections could be held in the autumn after certain key projects had been completed.

As can be seen from the sample graph below, most polls currently have the centre-right Independence Party (‘Sjálfstæðisflokkurinn’) and the Pirate Party (‘Píratar’) vying for first position with around a quarter of the electorate each.

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