Prime Minister to Resign?

Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson intends to resign from his post at an undisclosed time this summer, according to sources close to him, thus ending a 32-year-long carreer in parliament, and barely a year and a half as Prime Minister.

According to his sources, the decision comes in the wake of nationwide municipal elections, which saw the Progressive Party take subtantial losses across the country. But Ásgrímsson has often been the subject of strong criticism in his short term on his post as well, often with members of his own party strongly disagreeing with him. In particular, he has been at the focal point of criticism over his role in getting Iceland into the US-led coalition of countries supporting the invasion of Iraq, while he was still Foreign Minister, and the sale of the National Bank to private investors that included members of his own family.

Rumours have circulated that former Progressive vice chairman Finnur Ingólfsson will replace Ásgrímsson, who has neither confirmed nor denied that he is seeking the post. However, according to Progressive Party by-laws, it is the vice chairman - in this case, Minister of Agriculture Guðni Ágústsson - who takes the Prime Minister post in the event of a resignation. Ágústsson has not announced any intentions of resigning himself.

As government offices were closed for the Whitsunday holiday, none of the parties involved could be reached at the time of this writing. - PFN