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ICELANDERS HAVE VOTED in favour of proposals for a new basic law, preliminary results showed today, after a referendum on what has been dubbed the world’s first “crowd-sourced constitution”.
Turnout was estimated at less than 50 per cent amid voter fears that the results of the non-binding referendum would be ignored by the small Nordic country’s politicians.
The proposed new basic law for the island nation was drafted by 25 ordinary citizens with the help of hundreds of others who weighed in on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
On Saturday, that committee put six constitution-related questions to voters in a referendum, each to be answered by a simple Yes or No.
Voters were asked whether they want the committee’s proposals to form the basis of a draft constitution.
After ballots in half the constituencies were counted on Sunday, two thirds of voters had answered that question in the affirmative, data from the country’s election committees compiled by public broadcaster RUV showed.
Other questions included topics such as the country’s natural resources and the role of its national church.
Results on Sunday indicated that voters want to keep the country’s national church, and that they think natural resources that aren’t privately owned should be considered public property.
“Those of us who have hoped for a better society woke up happy this morning,” said Gudmundur Gunnarsson, a member of the constitutional council who is also the father of singer Björk.
Iceland’s population is just over 300,000 but the complexity of the ballots means they are being counted manually and official results are not expected to be announced until late Sunday.
Iceland’s financial collapse in 2008 during the global economic crisis provoked huge social movements and the demand that any new constitution be drawn up by ordinary citizens became irresistible.
Voter turnout is reported to have been around 49 per cent, which is less than the 72.9 per cent who voted last year, when Icelanders for the second time decided whether to approve a deal to compensate Britain and The Netherlands for the 2008 collapse of Icesave bank.
Still, the results were hailed on Sunday by the mayor of Reykjavik, who is also the deputy leader of the Social Democratic Alliance party (Samfylkingin).
“Congratulation Iceland. It seem to me that a cross-section of the people voted yesterday and that the results coincide very well with opinion polls,” Dagur B. Eggertsson said on social networking site Facebook.
The opposition Independence party, which was in power for much of the last century, has said it thinks the plan needs more detailed examination.
Any changes to Iceland’s constitution must be approved twice by parliament, with a general election held between the votes.
The country’s constitution dates back to its independence from Denmark in 1944 and it has long been accepted that it needs revision.
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They have risen from the ashes, economically and meteorologically and have adopted a great strategy in my view. Putting PEOPLE first
In contrast, schoolboy Kenny will be paying another €3.5 billion to Bondholders before the end of 2012…. Fianna Fail signed Ireland’s death cert. I pray that one day, the Irish people stop paying taxes and maybe then the bondholder payments get stopped. It must happen one way or another – yes there are side effects but overall we will save €30 billion by burning the promissory note to Anglo Irish Bank. Pray that Irish people will stand-up, pray.
Even the ash clouds didnt stop these people from rising #PeoplePower
Icelanders protested and demonstrated until their government listened. People power. Why can’t we do the same in Ireland? Heres why… there is a huge swathe of our population who are still very well off and don’t fully understand or want to believe the extent of the state of our economy. If anyone tries to organise a demo or protest, the media and majority of the population brand the protesters lefties, hooligans, shinners etc. This country has no national pride. Let know one be fooled, the very comfortable ‘ middle class’ in Ireland, majority of whom are public servants, don’t want to know about demonstrations or protests.
Rubbish. There is a huge swathe of our population that is not well off and are doing nothing about the current situation. Its not because they are afraid of being called “lefties, hooligans, shinners etc.” If that’s all they have to worry about, they have little to be afraid of. All that has happened so far was the occupy movement, which was just jumping on a bandwagon.
Why is it people aren’t protesting? Its the Irish way. We turn a blind eye. We think, ‘ah, sure it’ll be grand’. We wait for others to lead, then follow – we have no strong leaders (just look at the Dail). If we had strong leaders, they have probably emigrated by now. All it would take is a few people to start a protest and others would follow, but that hasn’t and wont happen. We are meek people who don’t take chances, we just follow the line.
To blame it on public servants is baloney too. Another ‘us vs them’ scenario. Why not also blame those on the dole, those in council houses, immigrants, pensioners? Anyone but ourselves.
John,
The real division of Irish people is capitalism – it destroyed our society since the celtic tiger. I’m a centrist but the media have been hostile to any protests. Just look at the Irish Independent who branded the protestors who egged Gilmore’s car as “unemployed republicans”
Joe,
Capitalism hasn’t destroyed our society since the celtic tiger. The bank debts were socialised, in a true capitalist society that would NEVER happen. Socialism has destroyed Ireland along with many other factors – short sighted politicians, bad bankers… you know the rest. It was the left leaning Fianna Fail in power at that time too.
I can’t find where The Irish independent branded the protesters “unemployed republicans”. I don’t condone using such tactics as throwing eggs to protest though. It was always going to cause bad press against the protesters. And it was organsised by eirigi so the republican tag isn’t far off. But is that what stops other from protesting? People are afraid to be branded unemployed republicans?
A peaceful protest with large crowds will get sympathy towards the protesters.
Wow, a news source publishing news about Iceland???
I didn’t think that was allowed. Aren’t we all supposed to believe that Iceland as a whole is burning in hell at this very minute?
I don’t think we’re meant to believe that at all but we’re also not also to believe that Iceland is heaven on earth either.
Iceland has been making great strides getting past their crisis and returning to growth. With a population only a fraction the size of Irelands. Which flies in the face of the argument that Irelands population is too small to sustain independence.
Declare Independence. Don’t let them do that to you. Raise your flag!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXVlQTC2yB0&feature=youtube_gdata_player
For Christ Sake. Iceland are making us look pathetic. Whilst we are being economically raped by our economic captures and enjoying it because of our Stockholm syndrome, the Icelandic people are kicking the EU right in the balls. When are we going to grow some and just pull the pin. The sky won’t fall. Iceland proves that.
Great People , those icelanders, a role model for irish People, perhaps, naa wishful thinking
Don’t Pay stealth taxes Ireland – it’s NOT your debt.
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