CONSTITUTION
OF THE REPUBLIC OF ICELAND
(No. 33, 17 June 1944, as amended 30 May 1984, 31 May 1991, 28 June 1995 and 24
June 1999)
I.
Article 1
Iceland is a Republic with a parliamentary government.
Article 2
Althingi and the President of Iceland jointly exercise legislative power. The
President and other governmental authorities referred to in this Constitution
and elsewhere in the law exercise executive power. Judges exercise judicial
power.
II.
Article 3
The President of Iceland shall be elected by the people.
Article 4
Any person who is at least thirty-five years of age and fulfils the requirements
necessary to vote in elections to Althingi, with the exception of the residency
requirement, is eligible to be elected President.
Article 5
The President shall be elected by direct, secret ballot of those who are eligible
to vote in elections to Althingi. A presidential candidate shall be proposed by
not less than 1500 voters and not more than 3000. The candidate, if there is
more than one, who receives the most votes is duly elected President. If there is
only one candidate, he is duly elected without a vote.
Further provision for the candidature and election of the President shall be made by law, and it may be provided that a specific number of proposers shall reside in each quarter of the country in proportion to the number of voters there.
Article 6
The President's term of office begins on the 1st of August and ends on the 31st
of July four years later. The election of President takes place in June or July of
the year in which a term of office expires.
Article 7
If the President dies or resigns prior to the expiry of his term of office, a new
President shall be elected for a period ending on the 31st of July of the fourth
year from the election.
