Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson speaks in Parliament in Reykjavik, Iceland, September 13, 2017. REUTERS/Geirix

REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - Iceland’s prime minister called a snap parliamentary election on Friday following the decision of one of the three coalition parties to quit the government formed less than nine months ago.

“We have lost the majority and I don’t see anything that indicates we can regain that... I am calling an election,” Bjarni Benediktsson told reporters, adding that he would prefer the vote to take place in November.

The outgoing government party Bright Future made its decision to quit due to a “breach of trust” after the prime minister’s party purportedly tried to cover up a scandal involving his father.