Election funding causes rumblings in government

Greens criticise "old parties and their candidates"; opposition calls for Vanhanen to resign

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The controversy over election funding caused problems within the government on Wednesday, when the Parliamentary group of the Green League distanced itself from the other three parties of the government coalition.
      The Greens denounced the activities of “the old parties and their candidates” in election funding, and indicated that if election finance reform did not go far enough, the party might go against the government in an upcoming confidence vote.
      The Greens say that the “concrete goals” of legislation which guarantees openness need to be included in a statement on the election funding bill, which the government promised to present to Parliament soon.
     
The debate on the government’s statement will include a vote of confidence in the government, and noises from within the Greens lending support to a possible dissolution of Parliament raised a few eyebrows.
      In addition to criticising the “old parties”, the Greens’ statements put forward demands and set goals for reform of election funding. Green Parliamentary group chairman Ville Niinistö said, however, that his group does not expect the government to follow the goals set by the Greens in minute detail.
     
The two largest parties in the government had varying interpretations of the implications of the rumblings within the Greens.
      The Centre Party’s Timo Kalli said that the Greens’s statement on confidence in the government lacked logic, because the government will have to stay in office possibly for months before it is known what kind of an election finance law is coming. “You’re either in the government or out. Then you either have confidence, or don’t, and you don’t go hiding behind any corner.”
      Ben Zyskowicz, deputy chairman of the Parliamentary wing of the National Coalition Party, did not see the Greens’ statement as an ultimatum. However, he warned the Greens that “it is not a good idea to sit on two chairs, because you might fall between them”.
     
Green League chairwoman and Minister of Labour Anni Sinnemäki insisted during a visit to Brussels that the Greens are not split on how to bear responsibility as a government party in matters related to the election campaign controversy.
      She did not want the Green League to join the opposition Social Democrats in toppling the government. “Our goal is to reform the election campaign law, and not to serve the Social Democratic Party in opposition."
      Sinnemäki feels that it was quite normal for the Green Parliamentary group to put pressure on the government on Thursday, even though the Greens themselves have two ministers in the current four-party coalition. In her view, evaluating one’s own activities is part of being in government.
     
Leaders of the Parliamentary opposition parties issued a joint statement on Thursday calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) over the election funding furore.
      However, the opposition group leaders did not say anything on the possible dissolution of Parliament, even though that was on the list drawn up by Social Democratic Party group leader Tarja Filatov, who had called for the meeting.
      The opposition groups were split on the issue of early elections, with the Left Alliance and the True Finns calling for dissolving Parliament, while the SDP and the Christian Democrats wanted to wait for a statement from the government. Annika Lapintie (Left Alliance) called for new elections, saying that “big money” had distorted the composition of Parliament, pushing it to the right.
      Prime Minister Vanhanen said during a visit to the United States that he has no intention of resigning, and Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen (Nat. Coalition Party), who serves as the Prime Minister’s substitute while he is away, noted that parties of the left also get money to promote their cause.
     
President Tarja Halonen, who is in New York for the UN General Assembly, would not speculate on what she would decide if Prime Minister Vanhanen were to resign, considering that he has said that he does not plan to do so.
      Halonen also noted that Parliament has set a very high threshold for its dissolution: the Prime Minister must ask the President to dissolve Parliament, and Parliament itself must set the timetable.
      Halonen said that the furore over election funding has “certainly” affected how the government works. She emphasised that an ability to work is especially important during an economic crisis.
     
Parliament was last dissolved in Finland in 1975, during the rule of President Urho Kekkonen.
      A change to the Constitution in 1991 removed the previously almost unrestricted powers of the President to dissolve the assembly and call new elections.
      Since 1983, all governments have sat for the full four-year Parliamentary term, with the exception of the brief administration led by Anneli Jäätteenmäki (Centre Party) in 2003.
      In that instance, the resignation of the Prime Minister (over the so-called "Iraqgate" issue) did not lead to fresh elections, but a new government composed of almost exactly the same ministers continued under the leadership of Matti Vanhanen.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Vanhanen sees no problem with foundations making campaign donations (22.9.2009)
  Election funding row sparks serious discussion of dissolution of Parliament (24.9.2009)
  RAY Chairman Vihriälä resigns in midst of election funding furore (23.9.2009)
  Vanhanen got campaign contributions for nonprofit housing foundation (21.9.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat