Petition calls on foreign minister to resign

A petition on Iceland’s government website calls on Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to resign and take Viðreisn out of the coalition government, mbl.is reports.

The petition has collected more than 1,600 signatures. It is organised by Sigfús Aðalsteinsson, who led the Okkar borg list in this spring’s municipal elections.

“We call on Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir to resign immediately as foreign minister and lead Viðreisn out of the government,” the petition states.

It accuses the government of making Iceland’s European Union issue its main political campaign despite earlier statements, inadequate preparations and misleading information. It also says the question for a national referendum had to be changed following comments from the National Electoral Commission.

“The nation has now rejected the government’s case. That result must have political consequences,” the petition says.

It argues that the government cannot claim to trust the public with the decision while disregarding the result, and calls on Gunnarsdóttir and Viðreisn to take responsibility by leaving the government and calling for the dissolution of parliament and new elections.

“If the government trusted the nation to decide the issue, it must also trust it to judge the government by its actions,” the petition states.