Johanna Sigurdardottir Iceland

If the Icelandic government decides to hold a second election for the Constitutional Convention, it is to be hoped that the powers-that-be go beyond simply tweaking the ballots and the voting booths.

I believe the Icelandic people are willing to undergo hardship to help our country recover from the catastrophic collapse, as long as the hardship is spread throughout the population, and those who unjustly profited from their decisions are put in their place.

Ever since the Icelandic economy came crashing down with the country's bank cabal, our politicians have failed to grasp the enormity of these catastrophic events.

"Perhaps things weren't illegal, but when do you cross the line from a framework of standard marketing practices and into bribery?"

Johanna and her partners have an incredibly difficult task ahead of them. However, forcing a quick referendum on EU membership should not be the cornerstone of our rebuilding effort.

For a party that has no money and has existed as a political force for less than two months, the outcome of the Icelandic election is nothing less than miraculous.

Unfortunately, in Iceland, as elsewhere, we're numbed by the continuous stream of bad economic news and appear in danger of forgetting what we were fighting for.

This is a milestone and another significant step towards the goal of judging our leaders on their abilities and their character, rather than on superficial distinctions.

This represents the first time that a gay leader has assumed the reins of a modern state -- and in a time of crisis.