Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.02.2006, Blaðsíða 14

Independence Party
Vilhjálmur Þ. Vilhjálmsson
Current position: Independence Party leader for City Council,
board member of Reykjavík City Harbour, board member of the
National Power Company.
Platform highlights: Improving children’s education and the
living conditions of the elderly, lowering taxes, developing
downtown Reykjavík, and building apartments on the island of
Geldingarnes.
Strange but true: On learning that he had won the first seat for
the Independence Party, Vilhjálmsson sang for his supporters.
For more information: http://www.betriborg.is/stefnan/
Leftist-Green Party
Svandís Svavarsdóttir
Current position: Leftist-Green leader for City Council.
Platform highlights: Strengthening school system, making pre-
school free, making school meals free, lower cost of after-school
programs, strengthening public transportation, eliminating the
wage difference between genders, supporting multiculturalism.
Strange but true: Is also an expert in sign language.
For more information: http://www.vgreykjavik.is
Liberal Party
Ólafur Magnússon
Current position: Liberal Party leader for City Council.
Platform highlights: Improve services for the elderly and the
disabled, remove Reykjavík’s involvement in the Kárahnjúkar
dam project, combine smaller voting districts into a few larger
ones, increase police presence on the streets, lower taxes.
Strange but true: Is the only Liberal on City Council – a seat
that would be lost if elections were held today.
For more information: http://www.f-listinn.is
Progressive Party
Björn Ingi Hrafnsson
Current position: Vice MP for Jónína Bjartmarz, assistant to
Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson, chairman of the Prime
Minister’s Family Committee.
Platform highlights: A safer city, increasing building areas in
Reykjavík, free city bus service for the elderly, students, and the
disabled, increasing financial support to parents, looking into
whether or not school uniforms for grade school children would
be a good idea, make pre-schools free.
Strange but true: Sources close to the Grapevine tell us that
former Stöð 2 reporter Eggert Skúlason opened a speech he
made to Hrafnsson supporters on the occasion of his first seat
victory with the sentence, “We gave it to them up the ass!”
For more information: http://www.bjorningi.is/
Social Democratic Party
The Social Democratic primaries were held 11 and 12 February.
The candidates at the time of this writing were:
Steinunn Valdís Óskarsdóttir
Current position: Mayor of Reykjavík.
Platform highlights: Taking better care of the elderly, develop-
ing Reykjavík, raising the salaries of the lowest income earners,
making pre-school free.
Strange but true: Appeared as a guest columnist on the website
Tíkin (“the bitch”).
For more information: http://www.steinunnvaldis.is
Dagur B. Eggertsson
Current position: Member of City Council, chairman of the
Reykjavík Planning Committee, chairman of the project Young
Europeans Against Drugs.
Platform highlights: Development and rejuvenation of Rey-
kjavík, reform of traffic system, elimination of the wage differ-
ence between genders, development of job prospects, physical
education and arts courses in school, parent associations in five
different primary schools.
Strange but true: While in City Council, Eggertsson did not
represent any political party, and has still not officially joined
the Social Democratic party.
For more information: http://www.dagur.is/
Stefán Jón Hafstein
Current position: Social Democrat leader on City Council.
Platform highlights: Making pre-school and grade school free
while bringing secondary schools under the control of the city,
improving the overall education of children, development of the
city, strengthening of neighbourhood committees.
Strange but true: Proposed that Icelandic be taught in pre-
schools, that information for parents be translated into their
native languages, and that staff be trained to show children of
different cultures greater sensitivity.
For more information: http://www.stefanjon.is/
Ó Borg Mín Borg
Some of Reykjavík’s Notable Mayors
by Paul F. Nikolov
Páll Einarsson
(Mayor from 1908-1914.) Reykjavík’s first mayor. Originally the sheriff of
Hafnarfjörður, Einarsson ran against city official for the Danish government
Knud Zimsen and soundly won, thus confirming the growing nationalist
sentiment in Iceland. At that time, the mayor’s salary was 4,500 ISK.
Jón Þorláksson
(Mayor from 1933-1935.) Þorláksson was a dyed-in-the-wool conservative,
and was the first leader of the Independence Party, which was formed when
the Liberals and the Conservatives merged in 1929. He is credited with
strengthening Iceland’s economy. His ideas regarding limited government
and increased free trade are said to have inspired Davíð Oddsson’s own
mayoral policies.
Bjarni Benediktsson
(Mayor from 1940-1947.) Not to be confused with his nephew,
Independence Party MP Bjarni Benediktsson. This man oversaw the city
during the time that Iceland received its independence from Denmark.
Benediktsson would later become editor of Morgunblaðið, and then Prime
Minister in 1963. He died in a fire at the government house at Þingvellir,
along with his wife and grandson, in 1970. His son, Björn Bjarnason, is the
current Minister of Justice.
Davíð Oddsson
(Mayor from 1982-1991.) The one and only. Well-known for his
privatisation policies, Oddsson was less known for his literary efforts. These
included two volumes of short stories, several plays, and some poetry, as
well as writing a short story that inspired the Hrafn Gunnlaugsson film
Opinberun Hannesar, considered by many to be the worst Icelandic movie
ever made. Oddsson is currently the chairman of the Central Bank of Iceland.
Þórólfur Árnason
(Mayor from 2003-2004.) Served one of the shortest terms as mayor of
Reykjavík. After taking over the office when Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir left
for greener pastures, Árnason was himself forced to resign from his post after
the oil company Esso – where he worked as the marketing director – became
implicated in a price-fixing scandal along with Ólís and Skeljungur (Shell).
He is today the CEO of Icelandic Group hf.
Mayoral Candidates for Reykjavík
by Paul F. Nikolov
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