Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was sworn in for the 5th time as President of Iceland today after having won the presidential elections last June against five other candidates.
The ceremony began with a mass in the Reykjavík Cathedral given by the Bishop of Iceland. The mass was attended by Grímsson and his wife Dorrit Moussaieff, who was sporting a traditional Icelandic costume, along with several officials and government members, including PM Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir.
The procession later moved to the nearby parliament building where Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson delivered his inauguration speech before officially being sworn in for a fifth 4-year presidential term.
The newly elected president then appeared on the balcony of Alþingi to salute the dozens that had gathered on Austurvöllur Square to witness the historical event.
Grímsson won the 2012 presidential elections with close to 53 percent of the votes. His most serious challenger, journalist Þóra Arnórsdóttir, came second with 33 percent of the votes. The 2012 presidential elections saw a record-low voter turnout.
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson was first elected as president in August 1996. He ran unchallenged for a second term in 2000 and again in 2008. After 16 years of power, he is currently one of the longest running non-royal national leaders with the likes of Bielorussian president Alexander Lukashenko and the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez.