Iceland Left-Greens try to form govt, could bring in Pirates

LONDON – Iceland’s president has asked the leader of the Left-Green Movement to try to form a government, after the leader of the biggest party in parliament failed to assemble a majority coalition.

The Left-Greens came second in last month’s national election, behind the centre-right Independence Party.

President Gudni Johannesson told Icelandic journalists that he met Wednesday with Left-Green leader Katrin Jakobsdottir, after Independence Party leader Bjarni Benediktsson admitted defeat in coalition talks.

The Left-Greens have 10 seats in the 63-seat parliament, so will need support from several other parties to govern. They are likely to approach the anti-authoritarian Pirate Party, which also has 10 seats.

Iceland’s Oct. 29 election was called after then-Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned amid protests over his offshore holdings, revealed in the Panama Papers leak.