elections: last held 25 April 2009 (next to be held in 2013)
election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democratic Alliance 29.8%, Independence Party 23.7%, Left-Green Movement 21.7%, Progressive Party 14.8%, Citizens' Movement 7.2%, other 2.8%; seats by party - Social Democratic Alliance 20, Independence Party 16, Left-Green Alliance 14, Progressive Party 9, Citizens' Movement 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:
Citizens' Movement; Independence Party or IP [Bjarni BENEDIKTSSON,
Jr.]; Left-Green Movement or LGM [Steingrimur SIGFUSSON]; Liberal
Party or LP [Gudjon KRISTJANSSON]; Progressive Party or PP
[Sigmundur David GUNNLAUGSSON; Social Democratic Alliance or SDA
[Johanna SIGUROARDOTTIR] (includes People's Alliance or PA, Social
Democratic Party or SDP, Women's List)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
People's Voices [Hordur TORFARSON]; New Times; Civic Action
Association [Gunnar SIGURDSSON]; The Association of Military
Opponents [Stefan PALSSON]
International organization participation:
Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EFTA,
FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO,
ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA,
NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen
Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO