CEO of Nova Group claims Centre supports real estate company in zoning issue

Businessmen cancel meeting with Minister of Housing

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Arto Merisalo, CEO of the Nova Group real estate development company, has claimed that it has succeeded in lobbying the support of the leaders of the main government party, the Centre Party, behind it in a matter of zoning.
      In an e-mail message sent to 27 business figures, Merisalo urged recipients to sign up for a meeting with Minister of Housing Jan Vapaavuori (Nat. Coalition Party) to persuade him to desist from putting an interpretation on the law that would make it more difficult to build business premises.
      Scheduled for today, the meeting was cancelled after its existence - and the goals of the businessmen - had been reported in the media.
     
Merisalo writes that he was asked to send the message by Kyösti Kakkonen, CEO of the Tokmanni retail chain. Kakkonen is also known for his involvement in the Kehittyvien maakuntien Suomi association, whose election campaign contributions have been the focus of attention recently.
      The message was also received by Toivo Sukari, a businessman promoting the establishment of the Ideapark shopping complex in Vihti.
      Recipients of the message include representatives of a number of retail chains.
     
A guideline that would place a more strict interpretation on the law on land use and construction is under preparation at the Ministry of the Environment under the authority of Jan Vapaavuori.
      Representatives of the commerce sector are afraid that the move would make it more difficult to set up business premises.
      In the message Merisalo says that he held discussions on his concern about the interpretation of the law with Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre), Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen (Centre), and Centre Party secretary Jarmo Korhonen on the matter in early May. The newspaper Ilta-Sanomat wrote about the meeting on Thursday.
     
Merisalo confirmed the meeting on Thursday to Helsingin Sanomat. He said that he asked both Centre Party ministers if they supported the tougher interpretation on the law, which would “restrict competition in trade”. Both ministers had answered “no”.
      In his message to the business figures, Merisalo says that he had received the staunch support of the Centre Party leaders in the common cause of the representatives of commerce.
      Later in the same week, Vanhanen wrote in his blog that he supports the Vihti Ideapark project.
     
Merisalo told Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that the discussions between himself and the Centre Party politicians had nothing to do with election campaign financing.
      Merisalo says that he has “no relationship with Kehittyvien maakuntien Suomi. “I and the company that I represent has not supported the association, and I have not given any support personally either."
      Merisalo says that he is shocked that the business sector has been made a “scapegoat” in the election finance controversy.
     
Prime Minister Vanhanen confirmed to Helsingin Sanomat on Thursday that Arto Merisalo had spoken to him about the problems that he saw in the interpretation of the land use and construction law.
      Reached during his visit to Poland, Vanhanen noted that many others had also discussed the matter with him, as a part of normal political dialogue, to which people have a “sacred right”.
      Vanhanen sharply denied that those contributing money to the Centre Party’s election campaign would be trying to use him to push through their own zoning proposals.
      He also insisted that he cannot be bought.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Prime Minister warns of political crisis stemming from election campaign money affair (21.5.2008)
  Election financiers (18.5.2008)
  Tapani Yli-Saunamäki: “Treasure chest” handed out money and paid campaign bills (20.5.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat