- Title: ICELAND: CANDIDATES VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
- Date: 1st July 1968
- Summary: 1. GV EXT. DR. GUNMAR THORODDSEN AND WIFE ARRIVE TO VOTE 0.17 2. SV INT MR. AND MRS. THORODDSEN COME OUT OF VOTING BOOTH AND PUT THEIR VOTING SLIPS INTO BALLOT BOX, THEN LEAVE ROOM. 0.36 3. GV EXT DR. KRISTJAN ELDJARN AND WIFE ARRIVE TO VOTE 0.45 4. SV MR. AND MRS. ELDJARN COLLECT VOTING SLIPS AND ENTER BOOTH 1.01 5. CU ELECTION OFFICIALS 1.02 6. SV MR. AND MRS. ELDJARN LEAVE BOOTH AND PUT THEIR SLIPS INTO BALLOT BOX, AND THEN LEAVE. 1.20 Initials PW/VS/CR/BB Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 16th July 1968 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
- Country: Iceland
- Reuters ID: LVAECN6AYBJCCJOZLI9KC5O4LUGT
- Story Text: ICELAND WENT TO THE POLLS YESTERDAY TO ELECT A NEW PRESIDENT, FOLLOWING THE RETIREMENT OF PRESIDENT ASGEIR ASGEIRSSON. THE TWO CANDIDATES FOR THE PRESIDENCY ARE MR. KRISTJAN ELDJARN AND DR. GUNNAR THORODDSEN.
EARLY RETURNS SHOW THE LIKELIHOOD OF A DECISIVE VICTORY FOR MR. ELDJARN, A 51-YEAR-OLD ARCHAEOLOGIST.
A FIRST COUNT TODAY SHOWED THAT MR. ELDJARN, DIRECTOR OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ICELAND, WAS WELL ON HIS WAY TO THE PRESIDENCY WITH OVER 26,000 VOTES, AGAINST HIS OPPONENT'S TOTAL OF NEARLY 17,000.
MR THORODDSEN IS ICELAND'S AMBASSADOR TO DENMARK.
THE PRESIDENCY IS AN NON-POLITICAL POST, AND ICELAND'S POLITICAL PARTIES STOOD ASIDE DURING THE ELECTION PERIOD TO ENABLE THE PEOPLE OF THE COUNTRY TO HAVE A FREE CHOICE.
THE PREVIOUS PRESIDENT, MR. ASGEIRSSON, HAS BEEN PRESIDENT FOR SIXTEEN YEARS.
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