From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The President of Iceland (Icelandic: Forseti Íslands) is Iceland's elected head of state. The
president is elected to a four-year term by universal adult suffrage and has limited
powers. The president is not the head of government; the Prime Minister of Iceland is
the head of government. There have been five presidents since
Iceland became independent from Denmark in 1944. The incumbent is Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, who is
now in his fourth term as president, first elected in 1996, and returned
unopposed in 2008.
The presidential residence is situated in Bessastaðir in Álftanes, near
the capital city Reykjavik. The nation's constitution specifies
that when the president cannot perform the duties of the office,
such as when he or she is abroad or under anesthesia, the prime
minister, the president of the Althingi (Parliament), and the president of
the Supreme Court collectively assume the power of the office. The
three vote on any presidential decisions that must be made during
that time. The president is also the designated Grand Master of the
Order of
the Falcon.
Presidents
of Iceland
Since 1944, when the office was created, only five people have
had the position of President of Iceland. These are the
following:[1]
| # |
Name |
Took office |
Left office |
Notes |
| 1 |
Sveinn Björnsson |
17 June 1944 |
25 January 1952 |
First President and Regent of Iceland 17 June 1941 – 16 June
1944.
The only president to die in office. During 1950 considered
forming a government that did not rely on parliamentary support
after leaders of the parliamentary parties had reached an impasse.
In the period from his death until the next president took office,
the office was vacant but the powers of the office were vested
jointly in the prime minister, the president of parliament and the
president of the supreme court as the constitution commands.
|
| 2 |
Ásgeir Ásgeirsson |
1 August 1952 |
1 August 1968 |
First elected by popular vote. |
| 3 |
Kristján Eldjárn |
1 August 1968 |
1 August 1980 |
At one point considered forming a government that did not rely
on parliamentary support after leaders of the parliamentary parties
had reached an impasse. |
| 4 |
Vigdís Finnbogadóttir |
1 August 1980 |
1 August 1996 |
Was the world's first elected female president
and overwhelmingly won a contested election in
1988. |
| 5 |
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson |
1 August 1996 |
Present |
First president to use the authorization to force a national
referendum on a law from Alþingi. |
Latest
election
e • d
Summary of the 26 June 2004 Icelandic presidential election
results
|
Candidates |
Votes |
% |
| Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson |
90,662 |
85.6 |
| Baldur Ágústsson |
13,250 |
12.3 |
| Ástþór Magnússon |
2,001 |
1.9 |
| Total valid votes
(turnout 63.0%) |
105,913 |
100.0 |
| Empty ballots |
27,627 |
23.3% |
| Void votes |
834 |
|
| Source: ruv.is |
In his 2008 New Year's speech, President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
announced his desire to stand for a fourth term. No challenger to
the incumbent president filed their nomination papers by the
deadline on 25 May 2008, and consequently Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson
won his fourth term uncontested.
See also
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