Jón Gnarr says he will be better armed next time

Independent MP Jón Gnarr says he will be better organised and better equipped next time, after leaving Viðreisn’s parliamentary group last week. In a column in Morgunblaðið, reported by mbl.is, he describes his time with the group as a bloodless war.

“For about two years I have been a soldier on the front lines,” Jón writes. He says there have been clashes, though none bloody, and describes himself as a volunteer who is largely responsible for his own situation.

Jón says ideals and a fighting spirit led him to join Viðreisn, and that he sincerely believed he was working for a worthy cause. He was not seeking promotion or medals, he writes, and initially felt fortunate to be in a good unit with high morale.

He praises the group’s sergeant, who watched over the unit, set its strategy and represented it in negotiations with the opposition. The sergeant sometimes secured ceasefires and temporary agreements, Jón writes. A chaplain also offered comfort and encouraged the group during difficult moments.

At times, generals arrived to address the group or announce decisions made by headquarters. Jón says he often found the orders strange and inconsistent with what he believed he was fighting for.

He writes that he was sent into battle unexpectedly this summer. He expected air support, artillery to clear the way and perhaps secret weapons. Instead, he says, the group rushed ahead, became separated and lost the battle. Both the sergeant and the chaplain were lost as well, he writes.

Jón says he received little response from headquarters despite raising concerns about the group’s condition and asking for ammunition, food and other necessities. He worried about his colleagues, some of whom had nightmares and said unusual things in their sleep.

“I do not want to become a deserter, but I believe I am better off outside the unit than inside it,” Jón writes. He left Viðreisn’s parliamentary group last week.