Iceland’s conservative prime minister on Sunday looked set to try to form a new government after winning the general election, but it was unclear whether he could secure a viable coalition.
With 81 per cent of votes counted at 1000 GMT, no party could claim a majority after Saturday’s snap vote, and it could take days, weeks, or even months before Iceland has a new government in place as thorny coalition negotiations await.
Despite being embroiled in a series of scandals, Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson and his Independence Party were seen emerging as the biggest party, taking 16 seats in the 63-seat parliament.
They fended off a fierce challenge from the Left-Green Movement and its potential allies, the Social Democratic Alliance and the anti-establishment Pirate Party.
The Left-Green Movement looked set to come in second with 11 seats, the Social Democratic Alliance with seven seats, and the Pirates with six seats.