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Breaking: Embattled Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð resigns

By Staff |Apr 5 2016

  • Politically Isolated Sigmundur Davíð has come under increasing pressure after it was revealed he had connections to an off-shore company in the notorious tax-haven Tortola. Photo/Vilhelm Gunnarsson.

Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson will step down as Prime Minister of Iceland. Sigmundur made the announcement at a meeting of party's MPs earlier today. The decision came after the President of Iceland refused to grant the Prime Minister's request to dissolve parliament and call for elections. 

Read more: Iceland's president refuses the PM to dissolve parliament - the president's full speech

Sigmundur Davíð will continue as the chairman of the centre-right Progressive Party. He named Sigurður Ingi Jóhansson, minister of Agriculture, as his successof as Prime Minister, a choice which would have to be approved by the MPs of the Progressive Party, as well as those of the coalition partner, the conservative Independence Party. Bjarni Benediktsson, the chairman of the conservative Independence Party has so far refused to answer questions from media about the future of the government. 

Read more: Prime Minister Sigmundur says he is “not worried about Iceland’s reputation abroad”

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