Presidential election in Iceland 1996

The 1996 presidential election in Iceland was held on June 29, 1996 . In it the fifth President of the Republic of Iceland was determined.

prehistory

After the first democratically elected female head of state in the world, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir , decided against running again after four terms, Prime Minister Davíð Oddsson announced on March 18, 1996 a presidential election for June 29, 1996. The following people then declared their candidacy:

• Ástþór Magnússon (* 1953, entrepreneur)
• Guðrún Agnarsdóttir (* 1941, doctor)
• Guðrún Pétursdóttir (* 1950, withdrew her candidacy on June 19)
• Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson (* 1943, member of the Althing )
• Pétur Kr.Hafstein (* 1949, judge at the constitutional court)

Election result

194,705 voters were allowed to vote, corresponding to 72.4% of the Icelandic population. 167,334 of them, or 85.9%, took part in the election. 165,233 valid votes were cast:

candidate	be right	percent
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson	68,370	41.4
Pétur Kr. Hafstein	48,863	29.5
Guðrún Agnarsdóttir	43,578	26.4
Ástþór Magnússon	4,422	2.7
	165.233	100.0

Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson won the election and became President of Iceland with effect from August 1, 1996 .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Forsetakjör 1996 - Hagstofa Íslands (Engl.)