Iceland almost gets female-majority parliament

Reykjavik, Sept. 27 (BUS): Iceland briefly celebrated the election of a majority-female parliament on Sunday, before a recount of votes yielded a result just below that landmark of gender equality in the North Atlantic nation.

An initial vote count resulted in female candidates winning 33 seats in Iceland’s 63-seat parliament, the Althing, in an election that saw centrist parties make the biggest gains.

Hours later, a recount of votes in western Iceland altered the result, leaving women candidates with 30 seats, a number previously reached in Iceland’s second most recent election, in 2016. However, nearly 48% of the total, the highest percentage for women. The Associated Press (AP) reported lawmakers in Europe.

Only a few countries, and none in Europe, have the majority of legislators. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Rwanda leads the world with women making up 61% of its House of Representatives, while Cuba, Nicaragua and Mexico have 50% or just over. Worldwide, the organization says just over a quarter of lawmakers are women.

“The female victory remains the most important story in this election,” politics professor Olafur Harderson told RUV after the recount.

Iceland’s voting system is divided into six regions, and a recount was conducted in western Iceland after questions about the number of votes cast. The errors are not fully explained but are believed to be due to human error.

The three parties in the outgoing coalition government led by Prime Minister Catherine Jacobsdottir won a total of 37 seats in Saturday’s vote, two more than the previous election, and appear likely to remain in power.

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Opinion polls had indicated that left-leaning parties won the unexpected elections, which saw 10 parties compete for seats. But the centre-right Istiqlal Party got the largest share of the vote, taking 16 seats, seven of which are held by women. The Centrist Progressive Party celebrated the biggest gain, taking 13 seats, five more than the previous time.

Before the elections, the two parties formed a three-party coalition government in Iceland, along with Jakobsdottir’s Green Left party. Her party lost several seats, but held eight, exceeding poll expectations.

The three ruling parties have not announced whether they will work together for another term, but given the strong support of voters, it seems likely. It will take days, if not weeks, for a new government to be formed and announced.

Climate change was high on the election agenda in Iceland, a volcanic, glacier-studded island nation of about 350,000 people in the North Atlantic. Exceptionally hot summers by Icelandic standards – with 59 days of temperatures above 20°C (68°F) – and shrinking glaciers have helped push global warming onto the political agenda.

However, this does not appear to translate into increased support for any of the four left-leaning parties that have campaigned to cut carbon emissions by more than Iceland is committed to under the Paris climate agreement.

One candidate who saw her victory nullified by a recount was 21-year-old law student Linya Ran Karim, the daughter of Kurdish immigrants who ran for membership in the anti-establishment Pirate Party.

“That was a good nine hours,” said Karim, who would have been Iceland’s youngest MP.

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