THE PRESIDENT OF ICELAND

The constitution of the Icelandic Republic took effect on June 17, 1944 and was in most respects based on the constitution of the Icelandic Kingdom. There was, however, one obvious difference. The President, who now replaced the Danish King, was to be elected by popular vote for a four-year term of office.

The first president was chosen by parliament. He was Sveinn Björnsson (1881-1952). The first national presidential election was to be held in 1948 but since there were no candidates, Björnsson was elected by acclamation for a second term.

It is Björnsson who set the presidential protocol and tradition that has been followed by his successors. He also chose Bessastadir as the official presidential residence.

President Sveinn Björnsson died in office in 1952, shortly before his second term was to expire. Preparations began for the first proper national presidential election. The campaign was heated and at the end of it Asgeir Asgeirsson (1894-1972), former prime minister, emerged as the winner. He sat in office for four terms, each time being re-elected by acclamation.

It was not until 1968 and after Asgeir Asgeirsson had announced that he would not seek re-election, that Iceland got to experience a full-fledged presidential election again. There were two candidates and the winner was Kristjan Eldjarn (1917-1981). A former director of the National Museum, Eldjarn served as president for two more periods, also being re-elected by acclamation.

In the elections of 1980, after Eldjarn announced that he would not be seeking re-election, four candidates emerged. After a long and hard campaign, the female candidate Vigdis Finnbogadottir, former director of the Reykjavik Theater, won the election, thereby becoming the first woman in the world to be elected head of state in a democratic election. In 1984 she was elected unopposed for a second term. In 1988 she faced a rival candidate but won a sweeping victory. And in 1992 she was re-elected unopposed for a fourth term.