Dispute on new crisis mangement law escalates in Parliament

Majority of Constitution Committee call for changes in government bill

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The dispute concerning the new crisis management law escalated in the Parliament on Thursday, when a test vote in the Constitution Committee showed that a majority of the members of the committee feel that the government’s proposal for the new law violates the Finnish constitution.
      The dispute focuses on who would have the final authority to send Finnish forces to take part in crisis management operations. The government proposes that the decision should be in the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the Finnish Defence Forces - the President. The majority of the Constitution Committee feel that if the EU is formally involved in the operation, the decision should formally be with the Prime Minister.
     
In Thursday’s test vote, the numbers were 10-7 in favour of changing the wording of the bill. The parties of the coalition government split over the matter, with the main government party, the Centre Party, and the opposition Left Alliance on the losing side, voting in favour of the government’s proposal.
      All other parties, including the other main government party, the Social Democrats, voted with the majority, who want to change the wording.
      The matter was discussed on Thursday at meetings of the two main government parties. The overall feeling in the Centre Party was to proceed with the wording in the government’s proposal, but that members of the committee should decide as they see fit.
      The Social Democratic Parliamentary group did not want to give any instructions to its committee members, but it was reported that the there was criticism stand taken by Social Democrats on the committee. The prevailing view was that the authority of the President should not be reduced.
      The government was also prepared for the possibility that the bill might be withdrawn, if it is altered too much. However, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) said on Thursday that the staw vote in the Constitution Committee does not change anything at this stage.
      "The government’s proposal was carefully considered and balanced. The government has its ways to deal with this matter", Vanhanen said.
     
The mission of the Constitution Committee is to determine if bills that are put forward in Parliament are compatible with the constitution. Decisions of the Constitution Committee are binding for Parliament. The only way that Parliament can deviate from the view of the Constitution Committee is to implement the procedure of a constitutional amendment, which requires the support of five sixths of all MPs.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  New wording for crisis management authorisation (21.11.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat