Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Iceland PM resigned

Reykjavik, Iceland-The Panama Papers leaks apparently resulted in a political casualty Tuesday when Icelandic Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson resigned.

Sigurdur Ingi Johannsson, the deputy chair of the Progressive Party, announced Gunnlaugsson's resignation Tuesday on Iceland's national public service broadcaster RUV.Gunnlaugsson had been under intense pressure to step down since leaked documents hacked from a Panamanian law firm revealed his links to an offshore company, triggering mass protests in the capital.
Senior political figures in the Nordic nation have been holding emergency talks amid fallout from the Panama Papers leaks.
Critics said the revelations surrounding the offshore company, which allegedly had holdings in Iceland's collapsed banks, shattered public confidence in Gunnlaugsson's leadership and could harm the country's international reputation.
The Panama Papers: 7 things to know
Earlier Tuesday, Gunnlaugsson said he planned to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections as soon as possible if lawmakers from his party's coalition partner -- the Independence Party -- did not support his government.