About 200 protesters stood outside the central bank on a bright, breezy autumn day, chanting 'David Out!' Central Bank Governor David Oddsson, a former prime minister and close ally of the current premier, has faced calls to resign from at least one prominent Icelandic politician, who said his views were shared by other lawmakers.

The government has been forced to take control of three of the country's top banks, seek financial assistance from Russia and abandon attempts to defend its currency as a financial crisis brought the economy to the brink of collapse.

The crisis has shocked and confused the island of 300,000 in the north Atlantic.

Two women in the throng held a sign reading 'Stay Calm While We Rob You'.

Mr Snaebjorn Sigurdsson, 33, another demonstrator, said Mr Oddsson should leave. 'He's the former prime minister of Iceland. He let loose all the banks. He's been controlling things too long.'

On Thursday, a senior politician in one of the parties in the ruling coalition called for all the directors of the central bank to be fired.

'I believe that the central bank directors have made repeated mistakes and should go,' said Mr Agust Olafur Agustsson, deputy chairman of the Social Democratic Alliance.

'As long as the top management of the bank does not have credibility, the bank will not either.'

Mr Agustsson, speaking on state radio, criticised the central bank for not securing foreign currency reserves while it was possible and for potentially jeopardising a loan from Russia by prematurely stating it had been agreed. -- THOMSON REUTERS