Best Party wins polls in Iceland

[Lies]

A party that calls itself "the Best" has won local elections in the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik.

The Best Party, founded by comedian Jon Gnarr, secured 34.7% of the vote, ahead of the Independence Party's 33.6%.

Its campaign video featured candidates singing to the tune of Tina Turner's "Simply The Best".

Key pledges included "sustainable transparency", free towels at all swimming pools and a new polar bear for the city zoo.

The party also called for a Disneyland at the airport and a "drug-free parliament" by 2020.

As well as specific pledges, its video promised change, a "bright future" and suggested that it was time for a "clean out".

The Best Party was only established six months ago. Its victory means it will hold six seats on the 15-member city council.

Commentators suggest it has benefited from voters' loss of trust in government and the establishment in the wake of the country's banking collapse in 2008.

According to Iceland Review Online, several local races saw parties that were in power ousted in the polls.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10194757
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WE NEED MORE POLITICAL PARTIES LIKE THESE AND MORE PEOPLE CRAZY ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THEM.

[Requia ☣]

We'll have an official Tea Party soon, will that work for you?

[Lies]

We'll have an official Tea Party soon, will that work for you?

I said more political parties like these and people crazy enough to support them, NOT more crazy political parties and more people like them to support them.

[Cain]

A party that splits the votes of the Republicans for at least the next decade, while at the same time the Democrats piss away their support base?  Sounds like a win to me.

Also, "transparency" is a huge political issue in Iceland right now, I'm noticing.  As it should be, since it was the lack of transparency around the actions of the banks which led to...well, the worst meltdown in economic history happening there.  Apparently lots of politicians in Iceland are thinking about making their freedom of speech laws even more radical than the USA's, and giving government funding to investigative journalists and groups like Wikileaks.

Which is a very cool, if unintended consequence of the crash.

[Captain Utopia]

Which is a very cool, if unintended consequence of the crash.

That's awesome, Cain.  Much better than the "stick head in sand, keep doing same as before" reaction I might have predicted in a more cynical moment.

[Cain]

Well that is still happening in most countries.  However Iceland's economy shrank by nearly 10% in less than a year, so they're taking it kinda personally.

[AFK]

Needs more Bjork. 

[Reginald Ret]

If i ever emigrate, Iceland is in the top 3 and rising.