COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Iceland’s centre-left Social Democrats took an early lead on Sunday following a snap election, although a snowstorm delayed vote counting by several hours in northern and eastern parts of the country, state broadcaster RUV reported.
Opinion polls ahead of Saturday’s election had indicated that the ruling coalition of the Left-Green Movement, the conservative Independence Party, and the centre-right Progressive Party, which has been in power for the last seven years, was likely to be unseated.
With nearly 60% of votes counted, the Social Democratic Alliance, which was last in government between 2009 and 2013, was leading with 21.5% of votes.
The Independence Party, led by Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, was in second place with more than 19% of votes cast, after benefiting from a late surge in support.
The centre-right Liberal Reform Party, which polls had previously suggested could come in second, was in third place with 16% of votes cast.
(Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Louise Rasmussen; Editing by Frances Kerry)
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