Panama Papers: Iceland opposition calls for snap election over PM offshore scandal

[Sunlei]

Source: Reuters

mounting public indignation could hurt Gunnlaugsson. Many Icelanders blame politicians for failing to control bankers and for years of austerity after Iceland's big banks failed in 2008, sending the economy into a dive.

An online petition for Gunnlaugsson's resignation had roughly 23,000 signatures on Monday. Iceland has a population of about 330,000.

"It is only logical new elections take place," Arni Pall Arnason, head of the opposition Social Democratic Alliance, had told Reuters on Friday.

The details about Iceland are part of a huge data leak about possible tax evasion around the globe, much of it released on Sunday by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and news organisations.


Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/78555431/panama-papers-iceland-opposition-calls-for-snap-election-over-pm-offshore-scandal

[Baitball Blogger]

1. kick

[Sunlei]

2. America should have done like Iceland, jailed bankers & forgive all forclosed home mortgages.

[They_Live]

3. Yes

I'm still amazed at that story. That's how it should work everywhere.

[Eugene]

4. Icelandic PM faces no confidence vote over Panama Papers disclosures

Source: The Guardian

Icelandic PM faces no confidence vote over Panama Papers disclosures

Protests outside parliament after documents show Sigmundur
Davíð Gunnlaugsson’s wife owned offshore firm with large claim
on collapsed banks

Jon Henley in Reyjkavik
Monday 4 April 2016 20.31 BST

Iceland’s prime minister is under fierce pressure to step down after leaked documents showed his wife owned a secretive offshore company with a potentially multimillion-pound claim on the country’s collapsed banks – representing what opponents said was a major conflict of interest.

As opposition parties called a vote of no confidence for later this week and an online petition demanding Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson’s resignation garnered – in a country of 330,000 people – more than 23,000 signatures, thousands of protesters gathered outside parliament in central Reykjavik for an evening protest, chanting, banging drums, blowing whistles and waving bananas – symbolising the belief of many that they were living in a banana republic.

“He’s just lost all credibility,” said Arntho Haldersson, a financial services consultant. “Our prime minister, hiding assets in offshore accounts … After all this country has been through, how can he possibly pretend to lead Iceland’s resurrection from the financial crisis? He should go.”

“He’s lied,” said Anna Mjöll Guðmundsdóttir, a tourism researcher. “These people, they say they’ve learned the lessons from what happened to us in 2008, but they’re still just hiding our money.” Tinna Laufey Ásgeirsdóttir, a university professor, agreed: “He’s not been forthright. If people had been informed of this they might have voted differently. The size of this demonstration shows how disappointed people are.”

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/04/icelandic-pm-gunnlaugsson-faces-no-confidence-vote-panama-papers-wife-offshore