Bjarni Benediktsson talked to the press after the meeting said that on the day that Hanna Birna resigned he had contacted the President of Alþingi, Einar K. Guðfinnsson. Einar, however, turned down the position. It wasn't until dinnertime last night that Bjarni contacted Ólöf and announced his decision.
"I'm very grateful", says Ólöf when Vísir.is contacted her. She'll have the same powers and duties as those of her predecessors, Hanna Birna Kristjánsdóttir and Ögmundur Jónasson. This includes powers related to the decommisoned Ministries of Justice and Transportation.
Ólöf has legal education and is the chairman of the Central Bank Supervisory Board. She's also served as the Vice-Chairman of the Independence Party. She's just recovered from a serious illness where a malignant tumor was removed this summer. She has since recovered and is ready to assume her duties.
Ólöf is the twentieth Minister of Iceland to not have a seat on Alþingi. The last time that happened was with Gylfi Magnússon as Minister of Commerce and Ragna Árnadóttir as Minister of Justice 5 years ago.
A formal meeting has been scheduled at Bessastaðir today, where Hanna Birna will formally resign as the Interior Minister and Ólöf will assume her duties. As is know, Hanna Birna resigned after her aide was found guilty of leaking personal information related to an asylum seeker from the ministry last year.
