Iceland is set to hold potentially-historic parliamentary elections, with polls suggesting the opposition led by the anti-establishment Pirate Party could topple the ruling coalition.
Icelanders' faith in their political and financial establishment was shaken after the 2008 financial crisis and further eroded this year when several senior government figures were named in the Panama Papers.
The biggest ever protests in the country ultimately led to the resignation of Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson of the Progressive Party and the early election on Saturday.
Founded by internet activists and led by poet Birgitta Jonsdottir, the Pirates promise to clean up corruption, introduce direct democracy, look at granting asylum to former US spy contractor Edward Snowden and relax restrictions on the use of the bitcoin virtual currency.
Recent polls suggest the Independence and Progressive parties stand to lose their current majority in the Althing, often described as the world's oldest parliament, which means they would have to find a third coalition partner to stay in power.
The Pirates would be looking to form a majority with the current opposition parties: the Left-Green Movement, the Social Democratic Alliance and Bright Future.
An October 27 Visir and Stod 2 poll showed 37 per cent support for the government parties, while the four opposition parties polled around 47 per cent combined.
In a tight race, newly-established Vidreisn, the Reform Party, could become king-maker. The pro-European, liberal Vidreisn has not taken sides yet, but some analysts predict it would favour the current government as its economic policy leans rightwards.
While the Independence Party remains the biggest party, support for the Pirates has been steady at around 20 per cent over the past months, well above the 5 per cent it won in the 2013 election.
The current government parties point to their own success in reviving the economy. Fuelled by a tourism boom, Iceland has recovered from its 2008 banking collapse and economic growth this year is expected to hit 4.3 per cent.
Parties on both sides have vowed to make no major changes to the ongoing lifting of remaining capital restrictions imposed after the financial crisis.
