Gibraltar CM dissolves parliament; calls general election in October

General elections in Gibraltar will be held on October 17 just before the planned Brexit, CM Fabian Picardo announced on Monday.

Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo has dissolved the parliament on Monday and has called for a general election next month, according to the official sources. The elections will be held on October 17, 2019.

The date of Gibraltar election coincides with date of the next meeting of the European Council, at which leaders are expected to talk about the future of Brexit.

The announcement of Gibraltar election comes amid heightened tensions over Brexit. Picardo, however, maintains that "Gibraltar is ready for any type of Brexit or no Brexit."

Gibraltar recently stepped up no-deal Brexit preparations by extending port facilities to be able to handle more ships carrying goods as part of contingency plans. With a population of just over 30,000 people and a land area of nearly 7 square kilometers, Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly to remain in the EU in Britain's 2016 referendum.

Three years after the referendum, which "Leave" voters narrowly won, Britain is undergoing its worst political crisis in decades and it remains unclear how, when or even if the country will split from the European Union.