"A very clear declaration of no confidence in Benediktsson"
Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir says the primary elections for the Pirate Party will take place in the very next few days. Composite image/mbl.is
Þórhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir, leader of the Pirate Party, says the decision of Svandís Svavarsdóttir, the leader of the Left-Green Movement, to resign from the temporary acting government is a sign of freezing temperatures between her and Bjarni Benediktsson, the leader of the Independence Party.
"I think this decision by Svavarsdóttir shows the freezing temperatures that exists between the leaders of the Left-Green Movement and the Independence Party. It also shows how incredibly bad Benediktsson handled this dissolution of government," she says in an interview with mbl.is.
Shows Benediktsson's lack of leadership skills
Ævarsdóttir says Benediktsson has taken the Left-Green Movement and the Progressive Party by surprise by going behind the parties when he announced the end of the government partnership.
"I think this is something that the Left-Green Movement cannot think of continuing with. This is what I imagine, but of course I can't speak for them."
Article on Iceland Monitor
Claims Svavarsdóttir is responsible for the dissolution of the government
She says that Benediktsson's behavior is a sign of rushing and that he is emotionally unbalanced:
"Because it is completely irresponsible not to have reached out to make sure that the government will work out before he jumps off like this.
Not checking people's minds if they want to join him in a majority partnership until the elections or if they are ready to participate in an acting coalition or what. I think this shows a complete lack of leadership skills on the part of Bjarni Benediktsson."
Do you think this is the right decision for Svavarsdóttir, to part with the temporary acting government?
"This is a very clear declaration of no confidence in Benediktsson."
Pirate Party's primary election in the next few days
In other respects, Ævarsdóttir says the Pirate Party are on their way to the primaries and to the elections on November 30. She says that in the very next few days candidacies for primary elections will be opened, then tonight or in the morning, it all depends.
She says the primaries will end sometime next week, "probably, but of course I can't control this".
