Iceland president gives Independence Party chief mandate to form next gov't

Iceland's President Gudni Johannesson said Wednesday he has given the Independence Party's chairman the mandate to form the next government, Icelandic media reported.

The president said it is a "clear" choice to give the mandate to Bjarni Benediktsson, leader of the Independence Party, which took a strong lead in the recent election by securing 21 out of the 63 seats in the parliament, according to Iceland's public broadcaster RUV.

"It is clear that in the situation as it is now (the Independence Party's) advantage promises most to be successful. It is clear after talks in last days this is the most effective way to form a government, at present," Johannesson was quoted as saying at a press conference.

The president said he would speak with Benediktsson again this weekend or at the beginning of next week to find out how the formation of a government is going.

Benediktsson has said he will be speaking to the leaders of all other political parties in the course of Wednesday, according to online newspaper Iceland Monitor.

Iceland's current centre-right ruling coalition failed to win a majority in the parliamentary election on Saturday even though the Independence Party, one of its two partners, took a strong lead.

Results showed neither the current centre-right ruling coalition of the Independence Party and the Progressive Party nor a possible alliance of four opposition parties managed to win a majority.

It was still too early to say which parties would form the next government in the Nordic island country. Endit