Tomasdottir wins 34.6% of the vote to become the Nordic country’s second female president.
Halla Tomasdottir, businesswoman and investor, won Iceland’s presidential elections, leading a competitive field of candidates in which the top three were women, reports the country’s national broadcasting service.
Tomasdottir, 55, was elected to the largely ceremonial post with 34.3 percent of the vote, defeating former prime minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, with 25.2 percent, and Halla Hrund Logadottir, with 15.5 percent. said RUV on Sunday.
Tomasdottir is currently on leave as chief executive of The B Team, a global non-profit organization co-founded by UK business mogul Richard Branson to advance humanity and climate-focused business practices, and has offices in New York and London.
Iceland’s president occupies a largely ceremonial position in the parliamentary republic, acting as guarantor of the constitution and national unity. He or she, however, has the power to veto legislation or subject it to a referendum.
Tomasdottir campaigned as someone who was above party politics and could help open discussions on fundamental issues such as the effect of social media on young people’s mental health, the development of Iceland as a tourist destination and the role of artificial intelligence.
She will replace President Gudni Th Johannesson, who did not seek re-election after two four-year terms. Tomasdottir will take office on August 1st.
Iceland’s second female president
Iceland, a Nordic island nation located in the North Atlantic, has a long tradition of electing women to senior positions.
Vigdis Finnbogadottir was the first woman democratically elected president of any nation when she became Iceland’s head of state in 1980.
The country has also seen two women serve as prime minister in recent years, providing stability during years of political turmoil.
Johanna Sigurdardottir led the government from 2009 to 2013, after the global financial crisis devastated Iceland’s economy.
Jakobsdottir, 48, became prime minister in 2017, leading a broad coalition that ended the cycle of crises that triggered three elections in four years. She resigned in April to run for president.
In the country of 380,000 inhabitants, any citizen who gathers 1,500 signatures can run for public office.
Although Jakobsdottir was sometimes seen as the favorite, political observers suggested that her past as prime minister could count against her.
Among the other top candidates in the field of 13 were a political science professor, a comedian and an Arctic and energy scholar.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
