Reykjavík Grapevine - 04.05.2012, Blaðsíða 12

12
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 5 — 2012
Elections | Presedential
The Icelandic presidential elections
are less than two months away and
the race is heating up. For the first
time ever it looks like incumbent
President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
will be getting a run for his money. So
far eight candidates have announced
their intention to run, with a ninth
intending to join them soon. At the
moment it’s looking like a two horse
race between the two most polaris-
ing candidates in the media, Ólafur
and Þóra Arnórsdóttir. However,
Andrea jóhanna Ólafsdóttir, chair of
Hagsmunasamtök heimilanna (“The
Coalition of Home Owners”), an-
nounced her intention to run just be-
fore we went to print so hold off on
placing your bets just yet.
THE INCUMBENT
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson has been lead-
ing a rollercoaster ride of popularity since
the 2008 economic crash, leading some
to want to stay on his ride forever, and
others wanting to head for the nearest
toilet. Although he implied in his New
Year’s speech that he would not be go-
ing for a fifth term—and left us hanging
for months—he ultimately decided to run
after receiving a petition of approximately
30,000 signatures urging him to do so.
Wanting to protect people’s interests
in “the ongoing political turmoil,” Ólafur
told newspaper Morgunblaðið that he
intends to step down if the political situa-
tion becomes stable within his term. After
serving for four terms, if he wins the elec-
tion, he will be the longest serving presi-
dent the country has seen.
THE TELEVISION PERSONALITy
In her announcement to run, Þóra
Arnórsdóttir said “there is a need for a
new tone in the national debate.” She
is a former journalist and television re-
porter who has made headlines with her
pregnancy; she is due to have a baby in
May. Þóra has made it clear that women
of childbearing age should not be disre-
garded from running for office. “I will take
care of my children as I always have, as
a full-time worker,” she explains on her
Facebook page.
At 37 years old, some are worried that
the nation will continue to pay a presi-
dent’s salary for too long after she has
left office, but she disagrees. “The law
changed on this matter in 2009 and any
president elected thereafter will receive
six months pay upon leaving office and
then get paid the same pension as others
in civil service,” she stated on Facebook.
Furthermore she added, “I don’t intend to
retire until I’m in my seventies.”
THE MOUNTAINEER
Ari Trausti Guðmundsson is a writer,
geophysicist and former TV weatherman
who has climbed at least 150 mountains,
published ten poems, speaks five lan-
guages, and used to be a radical commu-
nist. In an interview with state broadcast-
ing agency RÚV, he said his role would be
to promote “more responsibility, fairness
and humanism.” He stated that he thinks
it is very important to increase our con-
nection to the environment and that the
president’s role should be more home
based than abroad.
Pundits place him in a strong position
as a popular figure in Icelandic society
and ask whether his decision to run will
affect Þóra or Ólafur in splitting support
between candidates.
THE PROFESSOR
Herdís Þorgeirsdóttir, a human rights and
law professor at Bifröst University, has
multiple degrees and a doctorate. She
states on her website that she stands for
human rights and democracy and that
her candidacy is “an experiment to see
if the nation is ready to support a candi-
date against an incumbent president and
financial powers in Iceland.”
She argues that the president’s role
should not be to take the easy road, but
to stand up for democracy. In the past
she has also been heavily critical of the
corruption in politics surrounding the
economic collapse and recently the me-
dia, specifically on what she considers its
misuse of news sites Vísir and DV’s online
polls.
THE HUMANIST
Always the bridesmaid, never the bride,
Ástþór Magnússon is running for the
third time. He is an educated photogra-
pher, an entrepreneur, and a declared
humanist who wants to make the presi-
dential role a symbol for world peace.
He set up the international organisation
Friður 2000 (“Peace 2000”) in 1995 and
has reportedly gone on many humani-
tarian missions since. A much debated,
often ridiculed, figure, he is also one of
the only people in Iceland who have run
against Ólafur in the past.
Ástþór has often criticised the media
for unfair coverage. Recently, in an open
letter to National Broadcasting Service
RÚV, he asked whether “candidates
should not be allowed to introduce their
policies to the nation without financial
powers or cliques spoon feeding the
people who to vote for.”
THE WORKING MAN
Hannes Bjarnason is a former farmer who
has lived and worked in Norway for the
past 14 years. His decision to run is based
on his observations of the political situ-
ation in Iceland. With dismay, he claims
to have looked on at the breakdown of
values in the nation and wants to bring
morality back into the national debate.
In an interview with DV, Hannes
stated that he counts himself as a rep-
resentative of working people in Iceland.
He has experience in a number of voca-
tions, including carpentry, hotel work,
food vending, and slaughterhouse work.
As president he says he would safeguard
the nation’s interests.
THE DETECTIVE
Jón Lárusson has worked as a detec-
tive inspector on financial fraud inves-
tigations in Reykjavík since 2008. Jón is
apolitical and stands for democracy, fa-
vouring the people’s vote over decisions
made in parliament or by the president.
Jón is against Iceland joining the Euro-
pean Union, stating that it is not in the
national interest. He also opposes sug-
gested constitutional changes to the
president’s power, arguing that while the
powers have been abused, there is noth-
ing wrong with the constitution itself.
In a Q&A with DV’s readers Jón criti-
cised Ólafur for getting too involved in
the financial sector’s interests. He stated:
“the president should support the work-
ing economy but should also make de-
mands towards it.”
THE FIRECRACKER
S. Valentínus Vagnsson is a 72-year-old
man who was arrested for planting a
bomb at the government offices in Reyk-
javík. He intended to plant the bomb at
Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir’s
house, but couldn’t figure out where she
lived (despite all of Icelandair’s claims
that she is listed in the phone book). He
has not made an official announcement
yet, but according to DV.is, he has col-
lected over 2700 signatures of support
outside the supermarket Bónus, amongst
other places.
THE POLLS
The most recent poll conducted by the
Department of Social Sciences at the
University of Iceland has Þóra leading
with 49%, Ólafur in second with 35%, Ari
Trausti 11.5%, Herdís 3%, and Ástþór, Jón
and Hannes receiving under 1%. The me-
dia coverage has been heavily criticised,
with candidates asking whether it will ul-
timately be the media or the public’s de-
cision who becomes the next president.
What do you think?
The Eight Presidential Candidates, So Far…
The Grapevine’s guide to the Icelandic presidential elections
“The most recent poll conducted by the
Department of Social Sciences at the University
of Iceland has Þóra leading with 49%, Ólafur in
second with 35%.”
?
THE INCUMBENT THE TELEVISION PERSONALITy THE MOUNTAINEER THE PROFESSOR THE HUMANIST
THE WINNERTHE ACTIVISTTHE FIRECRACKERTHE DETECTIVETHE WORKING MAN
Words
Álfrún Gísladóttir
Photos
The internetz