Althingi, Iceland’s national parliament, has voted in favour of a bill that would repay Britain and the Netherlands for money lost when Landsbanki collapsed along with its high interest Icesave accounts in the two countries.
44 MPs supported the bill, 16 opposed it and three did not vote. With support from both coalition parties and the largest opposition party, the bill was comfortably passed. An addendum that parliament should send the bill to a public vote was rejected.
The final hurdle for the bill is the Icelandic president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson.
Parliamentary decisions can be vetoed by the president. This has only happened twice before — both times by the current president. He vetoed the last Icesave bill, which was then roundly defeated in the subsequent public vote.
This third bill offers much better repayment terms and the president has indicated he is happier with it. However, 30,000 people have now signed a petition asking him to send this bill to a public referendum as well. Grimsson has refused to speak publicly about his upcoming decision while the bill was in Althingi.
MOst active thread is here for those intersted in what happening with Icesave III :
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2011/02/21/icesave-puts-icelandic-president-in-world-spotlight-once-again/
The fourth, and best, alternative is a DEBT MORATORIUM! Under NO circumstances should a government or nation allow the destruction of civilization to satisfy fraudulent paper! Don’t even begin to legitimize this fraud against Iceland by negotiating settlement of this debt.
Iceland was set up for this by the creation of toxic derivatives by U.K. and Netherlands banks and sold to Icesave for the explicit purpose of hostile takeover. Let the Queens eat cake! Better yet, let them eat derivatives!
>Guess Björks petition against it didn’t really make a difference after all, or what happened to that?
[Annoying bit]Read more: http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2011/02/16/iceland-parliament-votes-yes-on-icesave-repayment-bill/#ixzz1ELAf0pab/annoying bit]
Bjork’s petition was against the sale of HS Okra to Magma and it worked pretty well:
http://www.grapevine.is/News/ReadArticle/Government-Talks-With-HS-Orka-Begin
Read more here :
http://www.icenews.is/index.php/2011/02/17/iceland-president-to-invite-anti-icesave-campaigners-home/
Great news for Iceland. Great news indeed! This i certainly a step towards healing from the economic crisis. Guess Björks petition against it didn’t really make a difference after all, or what happened to that?