Three women lead in the race for Icelandic presidency
- Icelandic voters are choosing their new president from a diverse field of 12 candidates.
- No single dominating issue has emerged during the campaign period.
- A close race is expected as three women emerge as frontrunners in the election.
Voters in Iceland are choosing a new president. The president's role is mostly symbolic in Iceland's government. The current president, Gudni Johannesson, who has been very popular, is not running for re-election. The candidates in this election are three women: Katrin Jakobsdottir, Halla Tomasdottir, and Halla Hrund Logadottir. They are competing closely for the position. The president in Iceland ensures the constitution is followed and can stop laws from passing or ask the public to vote on them. The voting started at 9 am and will end at 10 pm. The results will be known on Sunday. Katrin Jakobsdottir, a former Prime Minister, is one of the candidates. She has faced criticism for being too political for the president's role. However, she believes that her political experience makes her suitable for the job. Halla Tomasdottir, a businesswoman, and Halla Hrund Logadottir, an Arctic and energy expert, are also running. The election campaign has covered various topics like NATO membership, weapons for Ukraine, and the country's national power company's potential sale. In Iceland, any citizen with 1,500 signatures can run for office. Iceland is a small country with around 380,000 people. It has been ranked as the most gender-equal country for 14 years. The voting process started at 9 am and will end at 10 pm. The winner will be the seventh president of Iceland.