Icelandic presidential election, 2016

Presidential elections will be held in Iceland on 25 June 2016.^[1] The winner of the election will take office on 1 August.

Electoral system

The President of Iceland is elected by plurality in a single round of voting.^[2] Candidates must be Icelandic citizens and at least 35 years of age on election day.^[3]

Background and events

On 1 January 2016, incumbent president Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson announced that he would not seek a sixth term in the office, wanting to "to transfer the responsibilities of the president onto other shoulders".^[1][4][5] He later retracted and decided to run in April,^[6] citing political unrest after the fallout of the Panama Papers leak, which implicated Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson and forced him to resign after large anti-government protests.^[7] In the following ten days five other candidates suspended their campaigns, one of them after endorsing Ólafur Ragnar.

Candidates

Candidates must formally declare their intention to run on or before 20 May^[8] (five weeks prior to the election) and "be proposed by not less than 1500 voters".^[3] The highest number of candidates in previous elections has been six, but is expected to be significantly higher this time.

Main candidates

• Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson - Incumbent President. In January, he declared that he would not seek reelection,^[4] but decided to enter the race on April 18 after political unrest in connection with the Panama Papers leak.^[6]
• Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson - historian, author and senior lecturer at the University of Iceland.^[9]
• Andri Snær Magnason - author and environmentalist.^[10]

Other candidates

• Ari Jósepsson – self-proclaimed "YouTube star".^[11]
• Ástþór Magnússon – businessman and former peace activist; perennial candidate, who has run for president three times, in 1996, 2004, and 2012.^[12][13]
• Baldur Ágústsson – businessman, who also ran in 2004.^[14]
• Benedikt Kristján Mewes - German born dairy engineer and mailman, who wants to be the first gay president.^[15]
• Elísabet Jökulsdóttir – author and freelance journalist.^[16]
• Guðrún Margrét Pálsdóttir - nurse and founder of ABC Barnahjálp, an aid organization focusing on children in Asia and Africa.^[17]
• Halla Tómasdóttir - entrepreneur and investor, co-founder of Audur Capital.^[18]–
• Hildur Þórðardóttir - healer.^[19]
• Magnus Ingi Magnússon - restaurateur and caterer.^[20]
• Sturla Jónsson – truck driver, protester, former parliamentary candidate and chairman of the party Sturla Jónsson.^[21]

Possible

• Ellen Calmon - Chairwoman of The Organisation of Disabled in Iceland (Öryrkjabandalands Íslands).^[22]
• Sigrún Stefánsdóttir - chairman of the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, University of Akureyri and former Director General of RÚV.^[22]
• Stefán Jón Hafstein - leader of the public development aid organisation.^[23]
• Össur Skarphéðinsson - former Minister of Foreign Affairs from the Social Democratic Alliance.^[24]

Declined

• Jón Gnarr - comedian and former Mayor of Reykjavík, had significant support in several polls before exiting.^[25]
• Katrín Jakobsdóttir - leader of the Left-Green Movement, had significant support in several polls before exiting.^[26]

Suspended

• Bæring Ólafsson - former COO of Coca Cola Bottlers Philippines.^[27] Declared in March and withdrew in late April.^[28]
• Guðmundur Franklín Jónsson - businessman and former chairman of the Right-Greens.^[29] Announced in March and left in April. Endorsed Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson.^[30]
• Heimir Örn Hólmarsson - electrical engineer and project manager.^[31] Announced in March and withdrew on 19 April due to the incumbent seeking reelection.^[32]
• Hrannar Pétursson - sociologist and former Human Ressource- and Marketing Director for Icelandic Vodafone.^[33] Withdrew in April.^[34]
• Vigfús Bjarni Albertsson - hospital chaplain.^[35] Announced his candidacy in March but withdrew on 18 April.^[36]
• Þorgrímur Þráinsson – author, motivational speaker, and former football player; dropped out in April.^[19][37]

Others

• Snorri Ásmundsson, a conceptual artist, released a statement in which he claimed he intended to run for president of both Iceland and Mexico, joining the presidential offices of the two countries.^[38][39]

Opinion polls

An MMR poll conducted April 22-26 showed Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson leading with 52.6, Andri Snær Magnason in second with 29.4, and Halla Tómasdóttir in third place with 8.8%. All others polled below 2%.^[40] A Fréttablaðið poll conducted May 2-3 shoved Olafur Ragnar Grimsson at 45%, Guðni Th. Johannesson at 38%, and Andri Snær Magnason in third with 11%. Halla Tómasdóttir 3%, Elísabet Jökulsdóttir 1%, Magnús Ingi Magnússon 1%, and Ástþór Magnússon 1%.^[41]

References

1. "Ólafur Ragnar mun láta af embætti forseta í sumar". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 1 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
2. "IFES Election Guide: Iceland Pres, June 2012". International Foundation for Electoral Systems. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
3. "Constitution | Government Offices | Constitution | How Iceland is governed | Government Offices". Government.is. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
4. Sigurdardottir, Ragnhildur; Jensen, Teis (1 January 2016). "Iceland's president says he will not run for re-election". Reuters UK. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
5. "Iceland’s president not seeking re-election after 20 years". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 1 January 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
6. "Ólafur Ragnar to run for re-election". Iceland Monitor (Morgunblaðið). 18 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
7. "Panama Papers: Iceland PM Sigmundur Gunnlaugsson steps down". BBC News. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
8. http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2016/04/29/haegt_ad_kjosa_utankjorfundar_a_morgun/
9. http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2016/05/05/olafur_med_45_prosent_en_gudni_38_prosent_4/
10. Erla María Markúsdóttir (21 March 2016). "Baráttan um Bessastaði harðnar" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
11. "Árni Björn og Ari gefa kost á sér" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 3 January 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
12. Oddsson, Hallgrímur (12 April 2012). "Ástþór: Kom með kreditkortin til Íslands". Viðskiptablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 15 January 2016.
13. Fontaine, Paul (3 January 2016). "Ástþór Magnússon Running For President Again". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
14. http://www.mbl.is/frettir/innlent/2016/05/01/baldur_bydur_sig_fram/}
15. Jóhann Óli Eiðsson (10 April 2016). "Vill verða fyrsti samkynhneigði forsetinn". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). Retrieved 18 March 2016.
16. Fontaine, Paul (15 January 2016). "Jón Gnarr Will Not Run For President". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
17. "Guðrún Margrét ætlar í forsetann" (in Icelandic). Fréttablaðið. 22 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
18. "Halla ætlar að bjóða sig fram" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
19. "Fjöldi meðmælenda sem forsetaefni þurfa að skila inn ekki breyst í 64 ár" (in Icelandic). Fréttablaðið. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
20. "Magnús Ingi býður sig fram til forseta" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 17 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
21. "Skoðanakönnun Vísis: Hvern vilt þú sjá sem næsta forseta Íslands?" (in Icelandic). Fréttablaðið. 2 January 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
22. "Formaður ÖBÍ íhugar forsetaframboð" [ÖBÍ chairman considering presidential run] (in Icelandic). RÚV. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 8 April 2016.
23. "Stefán Jón mátar forsetaembættið" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 13 October 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
24. Skúlason, Eggert (1 March 2016). "Össur sterklega orðaður við framboð: Kominn í hlaupaskóna" (in Icelandic). DV. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
25. "Jón Gnarr býður sig ekki fram til forseta". Fréttablaðið (in Icelandic). 15 January 2016. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
26. Hafstad, Vala (4 January 2016). "Field Open for Up to 159 Presidential Candidates". Iceland Review. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
27. Anna Marsibil Clausen (18 March 2016). "Vildi ekki bjóða sig fram gegn Ólafi Ragnari" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
28. "Bæring dregur framboð sitt til baka" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 25 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
29. "Guðmundur Franklín býður sig fram" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
30. "Guðmundur Franklín dregur framboðið til baka" (in Icelandic). Fréttablaðið. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
31. "Heimir ц√rn tilkynnir framboц╟ til forseta" (in Icelandic). RÚV. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
32. "Dregur framboð sitt til baka" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 20 April 2016. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
33. "Embættið ekki frátekið fyrir stjörnur" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 20 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
34. "Hrannar hættur við forsetaframboð" (in Icelandic). Fréttablaðið. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
35. "Vigfц╨s Bjarni bц╫ц╟ur sig fram til forseta" (in Icelandic). RÚV. 6 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
36. "Vigfús Bjarni hættur við: Segir Ólaf Ragnar ala á ótta" (in Icelandic). Vísir. 18 April 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
37. "Þorgrímur hættur við forsetaframboð" (in Icelandic). Morgunblaðið. 9 April 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
38. Grettisson, Valur (19 February 2016). "Snorri Ásmundsson býður sig fram til forseta Íslands - og Mexíkó". DV (in Icelandic). Retrieved 22 February 2016.
39. Ásmundsson, Snorri (20 February 2016). "President 2016". snorriasmundsson.com. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
40. http://mmr.is/frettir/birtar-nieurstoeeur/539-fylgi-forsetaframbjodenda
41. http://www.visir.is/ExternalData/pdf/fbl/160505.pdf