Government given relatively easy time in Parliament over tsunami crisis

Tuomioja concedes Foreign Ministry shortcomings; Board of Inquiry to ask for personal stories

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Parliament discussed the work of officials during the Asian tsunami crisis on Thursday. While the government avoided any major brickbats from the opposition benches, Finland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Erkki Tuomioja (SDP) conceded that there were clear shortcomings in the organisation and management of the Foreign Ministry's actions in the critical first days after the disaster.
      However, Tuomioja added that the problems in the dissemination of information did not hinder the initiation of immediate action, nor did they lead to loss of life.
      The Foreign Minister also apologised for the anguish and pain that the people waiting for information of their loved ones had to endure.
     
On Thursday, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) gave Parliament a so-called Prime Minister's statement on the action of Finnish officials in connection with the crisis.
      There was no actual new information in the reports given to Parliament by the Prime Minister and by four other ministers from the three-party coalition government.
      The Foreign Ministry had already previously published a critical report on the matter.
      On Thursday Tuomioja emphasised that the main priority now is to act efficiently and quickly to fix the shortcomings that have been noted and to improve crisis readiness.
     
There was little open criticism of government actions. Green League Parliamentary group leader Heidi Hautala said that the Prime Minister's Office was too slow in taking action, even though it should have taken command of the situation.
      Most other Parliamentary Groups noted the shortcomings that had occurred in the flow of information, for instance, and said that they would wait for the completion of the report of the Board of Inquiry headed by former President Martti Ahtisaari.
      The overall tone of the debate was strikingly conciliatory, and comments from opposition speakers differed little from those of their government counterparts, perhaps reflecting the fact that the new Parliament had only 24 hours before held a minute’s silence for the victims of the disaster. Among the hundreds of thousands killed by the giant waves, around 160 Finns are missing, presumed dead. A total of twelve Finnish bodies have been formally identified.
      Almost all the casualties were in Thailand, a popular winter holiday destination for Finns and other Nordic tourists. 
     
President Ahtisaari's board of inquiry is appealing to people who were affected by the tsunami to tell of their personal experiences in writing.
      The members of the board are asking for written submissions of no more than five pages.
      The board has asked to get the stories of the experiences by February 24th. They can be sent by e-mail to tutkijat@om.fi, by fax to (09) 16067811, or by ordinary mail to:
      Aasian luonnonkatastrofin tutkintalautakunta,
      Onnettomuustutkintakeskus,
      Sörnäisten rantatie 33C
      00580 Helsinki


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Foreign Ministry admits to mistakes in tsunami aftermath (31.1.2005)
  Foreign Ministry line has eroded media confidence in the wake of tsunami (14.1.2005)
  Foreign Ministry spokesman denies strategy of playing down tsunami impact (13.1.2005)
  Parliamentarians discuss information flow of Asian disaster (13.1.2005)
  Ahtisaari group not looking to place blame on anybody (12.1.2005)
  Former President Martti Ahtisaari to lead tsunami response board of inquiry (10.1.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat