Faroese parliamentary election, 2008

Parliamentary elections were held in the Faroe Islands on 19 January 2008, the latest possible date. The Self-Government Party and the Centre Party gained a seat each while the Social Democratic Party lost a seat. The number of women went from three to seven. [ [http://www.uf.fo/les_tidindi.asp?Id=52299 Nýggja løgtingið valt - stór útskifting og fleiri kvinnur] Kringvarp Føroya, 20 January 2008 fo icon] The leaders of the ruling parties will discuss a possible continuation of the current government before trying other possibilities. [ [http://www.uf.fo/les_tidindi.asp?Id=52319 Samgonguflokkarnir vilja fyrst geva sær sjálvum nýggjan kjans] Kringvarp Føroya, 20 January 2008 fo icon]

It had been considered to amend the election law to hold the election two weeks later to pass a number of important bills before the election, but in the end the negotiations on this failed and the election was called on 2007-12-07. [ [http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=7455&lang=6 Faroese election] Norden, 10 December 2007] [ [http://jp.dk/uknews/politics/article1194988.ece Faeroes to head to polls] The Copenhagen Post, 7 December 2007] Prior to this election, the electoral system was changed in 2007 from a constituency-based d'Hondt proportional representation (with seven multi-member constituencies), which had some elements of mixed member proportional voting, to a nation-wide d'Hondt based proportional system to reduce disproportionality. [ [http://electionresources.org/dk/fo/ Elections to the Faroese Løgting] Election Resources on the Internet]

Prior to the election, the Social Democratic Party formed a centrist unionist government with the People's Party and the Union Party. After the elections, four days of negotiations saw a centre-left separatist government emerge; while the Social Democratic Party retained the PM's post, the strongly pro-independence Republic got the majority of ministerial posts (including the newly-created post of foreign minister). The Centre Party also participated in the new government. Among the coalition agreement points was a plan to draft a constitution for the Faroe Islands, which would be approved in a referendum to be held in 2010.

The coalition broke up in mid-2008, however, and a government consisting of the parties governing before the 2008 election was sworn in on 26 September 2008, with Kaj Leo Johannesen as PM instead. [http://www.tinganes.fo/Default.aspx?ID=435&M=News&PID=1022&NewsID=1620]

Results

References