ELECTIONS IN ICELAND

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28935, 1 July 1959, Page 15

ELECTIONS IN ICELAND

Communists Lose Seats

REYKJAVIK, June 29

The Commnists suffered a surprise setback in Iceland’s election yesterday, losing about a quarter of their votes, according to progress results announced today The Communists held eight seats in the outgoing Parliament After the counting of nearly 60.000 out of a total of about 90,000 votes, the Independent Party had gained four seats, three from the Social Democrats and one from the Progressive Party In Reykjavik the Communists lost one seat, but retain the other previously held The Communist losses are thought to be a result of the Hungarian uprising in 1956, which dealt a devastating blow to the morale of ’ the Icelandic Communist Party. It has also become clear that angry Communist attacks on Britain and on Iceland’s membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisations had not brought results.

But Communist losses will not bring any retreat by Iceland over the fishing limits dispute with Britain, as the other parties will continue to demand that Britain respect the new 12-mile fishing limit. The Independence Party gains came mainly from the splitting of votes between the Progressives and Social Democrats, who fought the last election in 1956 in cooperation.