Lögberg-Heimskringla - 08.05.1987, Page 1
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A D/J i 3K RI f'STOF A
AUSTURoTRASTI 11
RBYKJAVIK, ICSLAND
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100. ÁRGANGUR
ALDARAFMÆLISÁR, FÖSTUDAGUR 8. MAÍ 1987
NÚMER 18
Icelandrs government loses majority
General elections took place in
Iceland April 25 resulting in thé
defeat of Prime Minister Steingrímur
Hermannsson's coalition govern-
ment. His party Progressive-Conser-
vatives (Framsóknarflokkur) won 13
seats, the biggest party in Iceland, the
Independence Party (Sjálfstæðis-
flokkur) suffered its worst defeat
winning only 18 seats, the Social
Democrats (Alþýðuflokkur) gained a
few seats, winning 10; the People's
Alliance (Alþýðubandalagið) won 8
seats; the Citizen's Party
(Borgaraflokkurinn) won 7 seats; the
Woman's Alliance (Kvennalistinn)
doubled its seats, winning 6.
Steingrímur Hermannsson ran
mostly on an economic platform, tak-
ing much credit for bringing inflation
down from 130% in 1983 to 12% last
year. Yet his party was expected to
lose more seats (only lost 1) so the
result of the elections has been
regarded as a personal victory for the
Leaders of Iceland's political parties prepare for a TV appearance.
Prime Minister.
President Vigdís Finnbogadóttir
has summoned the leaders of the ma-
jor parties to start negotiations for a
new government but Hermannsson's
60th wedding anniversary
John and Bjorg Indridson, of Bur-
naby, British Columbia, celebrated
their 60th Wedding Anniversary on
March 15, 1987 with an Open House,
followed by a family dinner at the
home of their daughter and son-in-
law, Rod and Bernice Goodchild, of
White Rock, Bíitish Columbia,
hosted by their daughter, Bernice and
son, Alvin.
They were married on March 15,
1927 at Selkirk, Manitoba. They lived
in Gimli, Manitoba, until 1940 when
they moved to British Columbia,
where they have been in the motel
and hotel business during most of
their years. John is still active in the
hotel business in Burnaby to this
date.
They have a son and daughter-in-
law, A1 and Sue Indridson of Van-
couver, British Columbia, and a
daughter and son-in-law, Berriice and
Rod Goodchild of White Rock. They
have eight grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
Out-of-town guests for the occasion
included Thora Scramstad, Bjorg's
sister and Matron of Honor at their
John and Bjorg Indridson
wedding, from Vancouver; John's
brother and wife, Ray and Alvine In-
dridson of Penticton, B.C.; and John's
sister and husband, Sigga and Bos
Mitchell of Selkirk, Manitoba; and
other guests from Vancouver, B.C.
and the Lower Mainland.
Congratulatory messages were re-
ceived from John's brother and wife,
Bill and Irene Indridson of Selkirk,
Manitoba, from Burnaby, Provincial
and Federal Dignitaries and Queen
Elizabeth.
government, a centre-right coalition
of the progressive Party and the In-
dependence Party, now only hold 31
seats in the 63-seat Althing, Iceland's
Parliament. The main.reason for the
Independence Party's loss was
former Finance Minister's new par-
ty, the Citizen's Party led by Albert
Guðmundsson who, after being
caught mishandling funds and other
questionable activities, was asked by
Independence Party leader Þorsteinn
Pálsson to resign. Guðmundsson's
resignation led to a split within the
Independence Party.
The party which gained most in the
last elections was the feminist
Women's Alliance. The party made
history in 1983 when it became the
first feminist movement in the world
to win parliamentary seats. Party
members now insist that it has won
the right to enter the government and
leaders of major parties acknowledge
that the feminists will likely hold the
balance of power in negotiations be-
tween centre-right and left-wing par-
ties. Said a spokesman for the
feminists, Kristæn Halldórsdóttir:
"The people have demanded that the
(Women's) Alliance enters gov-
ernment. We will consider every of-
fer, but it is too early to tell what kind
of government will be formed.''
Icelandic women complain that de-
spite equal-pay legislation, men's
wages are effectively 59% higher
than women’s. Women tend to hold
such jobs as gutting and packing fish,
or work at poorly paid clerical posts
in banks and government offices.
At this point Lögberg-Heimskringla
hasn't heard which party was given
the authority first to try to form a
government but that opportunity is
normally given to the party winning
most seats, so in this case it would be
the Independence Party. There is
speculation that the Independence
Party and the Progressive-Conser-
vatives might again form the govern-
ment with the support of the third.
But the possibilities are numerous so
Iceland may have to wait a while
before a new government is formed.
Steingrímur Hermannsson.