Row over paedophile ‘cover-up’ brings down Iceland coalition

ICELAND is facing its second election in a year after the coalition government collapsed yesterday when one party quit over the prime minister’s cover-up of his father’s support for a paedophile.

Bright Future left the three-party centre-right partnership, stripping it of its one-seat parliamentary majority.

Its executive committee said it has “decided to terminate co-operation with the government” because of a “serious breach of trust”.

Bright Future accused Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson of failing to tell the government his father, Benedikt Sveinsson, had signed a letter supporting a convicted paedophile’s bid to have his criminal record erased.

Icelandic law allows convicts to apply for “restored honour” subject to the support of persons of good character.

Mr Benediktsson’s Independence Party, the Reform Party and Bright Future formed a government only nine months ago after a vote last October.

“The prime minister will likely resign,” said Professor Olafur Hardarson of the University of Iceland.