National holiday:
Independence Day, 17 June (1944)
Constitution:
16 June 1944, effective 17 June 1944; amended many times
Legal system:
civil law system based on Danish law; has not accepted compulsory
ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON (since 1 August
1996)
head of government: Prime Minister Geir H. HAARDE (since 7 June 2006)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister
elections: president, largely a ceremonial post, is elected by
popular vote for a four-year term (no term limits); election last
held 26 June 2004 (next to be held June 2008); following legislative
elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the
majority coalition is usually the prime minister
election results: Olafur Ragnar GRIMSSON 85.6%, Baldur AGUSTSSON
12.5%, Astthor MAGNUSSON 1.9%
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Althing (63 seats; members are elected by
popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 10 May 2003 (next to be held by May 2007)
election results: percent of vote by party - Independence Party
33.7%, Social Democratic Alliance 31%, Progressive Party 17.7%,
Left-Green Movement 8.8%, Liberal Party 7.4%; seats by party -
Independence Party 22, Social Democratic Alliance 20, Progressive
Party 12, Left-Green Alliance 5, Liberal Party 4
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court or Haestirettur (justices are appointed for life by
the Minister of Justice); eight district courts (justices are
appointed for life by the Minister of Justice)
Political parties and leaders:
Independence Party or IP [Geir HAARDE]; Left-Green Movement or LGM
[Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON];
Progressive Party or PP [Halldor ASGRIMSSON - will step down in
August 2006]; Social Democratic Alliance (includes People's Alliance
or PA, Social Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List) or SDA
[Ingibjorg Solrun GISLADOTTIR]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA,
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC,
IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITU, MIGA, NATO,
NC, NEA, NIB, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO,
WEU (associate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO