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 Icelandportal |
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 10 September 1908, alongside a referendum on prohibition. [1]
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| Icelandportal |
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 10 September 1908, alongside a referendum on prohibition. [1]
The Althing was dissolved by King Frederik VIII in the early spring in order to elect a new parliament that would vote on a draft status law that would define the position of Iceland in the Danish realm. [2] The election campaign was one of the acrimonious in Icelandic political history due to the controversial nature of the draft. [2] The opposition was led by Skúli Thoroddsen, a member of the Independence Party. [3]
The 36 members of the Althing were elected from a mix of single-member and two-member constituencies. [4] The elections were the first to take place since changes to the electoral system in 1904; they were the first to be held using the secret ballot, [5] and also saw the three-round majoritarian system replaced by plurality voting as multiple rounds of voting on the same day were no longer possible. [4] The tax qualification for voting was also reduced, increasing the proportion of people able to vote to around 14% of the population, [4] up from 7,786 in 1903 to 11,726. [6]
Candidates opposed to the draft law won a landslide majority, whilst voter turnout was 72.4%, nearly 20% more than the 1903 elections. [6] As a result, the law was voted down in 1909, [2] resulting in the resignation of Minister for Iceland Hannes Hafstein. [3]
The Alþingi, anglicised as Althingi or Althing, is the supreme national parliament of Iceland. It is the oldest surviving parliament in the world. The Althing was founded in 930 at Þingvellir, about 45 kilometres (28 mi) east of what later became the country's capital, Reykjavík. After Iceland's union with Norway in 1262, the Althing lost its legislative power, which was not restored until 1904 when Iceland gained home rule from Denmark. For 641 years, the Althing did not serve as the parliament of Iceland; ultimate power rested with the Norwegian, and subsequently the Danish throne. Even after Iceland's union with Norway in 1262, the Althing still held its sessions at Þingvellir until 1800, when it was discontinued. It was restored in 1844 by royal decree and moved to Reykjavík. The restored unicameral legislature first came together in 1845 and after 1874 operated in two chambers with an additional third chamber taking on a greater role as the decades passed until 1991 when Althing became once again unicameral. The present parliament building, the Alþingishús, was built in 1881, made of hewn Icelandic stone. The unicameral parliament has 63 members, and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional representation. The current speaker of the Althing is Birgir Ármannsson.
Hannes Þórður Pétursson Hafstein was an Icelandic politician and poet. In 1904 he became the first Icelander to be appointed to the Danish Cabinet as the minister for Iceland in the Cabinet of Deuntzer and was – unlike the previous minister for Iceland Peter Adler Alberti – responsible to the Icelandic Althing.
Early presidential elections were held for the first time in Iceland on 29 June 1952. The elections were required following the death of incumbent president Sveinn Björnsson on 25 January. Between his death and the elections, the powers of the presidency were constitutionally vested jointly in Prime Minister Steingrímur Steinþórsson, Speaker of the Althing Jón Pálmason and President of the Supreme Court Jón Ásbjörnsson.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 30 June 1946. The Independence Party remained the largest party in the Lower House of the Althing, winning 13 of the 35 seats.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 23 and 24 October 1949. The Independence Party remained the largest party in the Lower House of the Althing, winning 13 of the 35 seats.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 28 June 1953. The Independence Party remained the largest party in the Lower House of the Althing, winning 14 of the 35 seats.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 24 June 1956. The Independence Party remained the largest party in the Lower House of the Althing, winning 13 of the 35 seats.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 28 June 1959. The Independence Party and the Progressive Party both won 13 seats in the Lower House of the Althing. Following the tie, electoral reforms were introduced and early elections were held in October.
Early parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 25 and 26 October 1959. Following the electoral reforms made after the June elections, the Independence Party won 16 of the 40 seats in the Lower House of the Althing.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 25 April 1987. The Independence Party remained the largest party in the Lower House of the Althing, winning 12 of the 42 seats.
A constitutional referendum was held in Iceland between 20 and 23 May 1944. The 1918 Danish–Icelandic Act of Union declared Iceland to be a sovereign state separate from Denmark, but maintained the two countries in a personal union, with the king of Denmark also being the king of Iceland. In the two-part referendum, voters were asked whether the union with Denmark should be abolished, and whether to adopt a new republican constitution. Both measures were approved, each with more than 98% in favour. Voter turnout was 98% overall, and 100% in two constituencies, Seyðisfjörður and Vestur-Skaftafjellssýsla.
The Icelandic independence movement was the collective effort made by Icelanders to achieve self-determination and independence from the Kingdom of Denmark throughout the 19th and early 20th century.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 27 October 1923. Voters elected all 28 seats in the Lower House of the Althing and eight of the fourteen seats in Upper House. The Citizens' Party, a loose collection of conservatives, emerged as the largest party in the Lower House, winning 16 of the 28 seats.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 24 June 1934. They were the first held after reforms to the electoral system that increased the number of seats in the Lower House from 28 to 33 and ensured that all members of the Althing were elected at the same election. The Independence Party emerged as the largest party in the Lower House, winning 14 of the 33 seats.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 5 July 1942. Although the Independence Party won a plurality of votes, the Progressive Party remained as the largest party in the Lower House of the Althing, winning 14 of the 33 seats.
Early parliamentary elections were held in Iceland on 18 and 19 October 1942. They were held after reforms were made to the electoral system following the July elections. The Independence Party emerged as the largest party in the Lower House of the Althing, winning 13 of the 35 seats.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland in 1844. They were the first elections in the country's history.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland in June 1903.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland in June 1902.
Parliamentary elections were held in Iceland in the autumn of 1874. The elections were the first after the introduction of a new constitution, which granted legislative and financial powers to the Althing and increased the number of members from 27 to 36.
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