KMS deputy chairman: organisation established at Centre Party headquarters

Centre Party Secretary denies involvement

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Jorma Kosunen, the deputy chairman of the Kehittyvien maakuntien Suomi (KMS) association, which is at the epicentre of an ongoing furore about election campaign financing, says that the group was officially established at the Centre Party’s headquarters in the office of Party Secretary Jarmo Korhonen in December 2006.
      Kosunen told Helsingin Sanomat that the meeting was also attended by Nova Group CEO Tapani Yli-Saunamäki and Centre Party development chief Lasse Kontiola.
     
Korhonen reiterates that the Centre Party was not involved in the launch of KMS.
      Kosunen is sticking to his story, insisting that Korhonen must have had a role: “We didn’t go [to the party’s headquarters] to play cards”.
      The official founders of the association were Kosunen, Yli-Saunamäki, and Pekka Lindh, a lawyer from Vaasa; the papers bore only their signatures, and not those of anyone on the Centre Party payroll.
      “It was quite clear to me that the association was preparing for the upcoming Parliamentary elections, and that candidates would be getting money through the candidates’ support organisations”, said Kosunen.
     
Party Secretary Korhonen sharply denied taking part in the meeting described by Kosunen. Korhonen told Helsingin Sanomat on Monday that he was 100% sure that he was not present at any such occasion.
      He also told the Finnish News Agency STT that he had not taken part in the activities of KMS, nor had he attended any of its meetings.
     Despite Korhonen’s denials, Kosunen said that he was sticking to his story.
     “It is strange that when a man tells the truth, people start making him out to be an arch-fiend”, Kosunen said to Helsingin Sanomat on Monday.
     
Meanwhile, the Parliamentary opposition began putting real pressure on Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) on Friday, urging him to give a thorough accounting of the controversy over election campaign funding, and the possible linkages with decision-making in the government.
      There are powerful pressures in Parliament to hold Vanhanen, the government, and the Centre Party accountable for the mess.
     
There were even calls on Friday for early Parliamentary elections, which could possibly be held in conjunction with the municipal elections in October. Supporters of the proposal said that such a move might be the only way to sweep the political table clean, and to restore confidence in political decision-making.
      The call for early elections was first made public by the Christian Democrats, who threatened an interpellation if the government does not take measures for new elections.
      The possibility of early elections was also considered at a meeting convened by the Social Democrats. However, the Parliamentarians of the SDP concluded that such a move would be possible only after careful consideration.
     
The SDP called an extraordinary meeting of its Parliamentary group for Tuesday, at which time the group is to ponder what means it, and the rest of the opposition have at their disposal. The opposition parties have agreed to hold discussions later.
     “The situation is extremely serious. Confidence in the Prime Minister is very thin. He is at the deepest part of this swamp”, said SDP group leader Tarja Filatov. She said that the first thing that Vanhanen needs to do is to give a solid accounting of election financing and its linkages with the real estate activities of certain Finnish businessmen.
      Filatov did not want to say if the accounting should take the form of an announcement from the Prime Minister, a government report to Parliament, or a statement, after which Parliament would hold a vote of confidence in the government, in the same way that happens when there is an interpellation.
     One option that the Social Democrats are pondering is to ask the Constitutional Law Committee of Parliament to investigate the activities of the Prime Minister.
     Some in the SDP feel that early elections could be called for. However, for early elections to be held, the Prime Minister needs to make an initiative, stating reasons for the call, and the President must give the final go-ahead.
     
“I am happy to debate with the opposition”, Vanhanen said on Friday.
      Centre Party Parliamentary group leader Timo Kalli and the National Coalition Party’s Pekka Ravi rejected the idea of early elections.
      The last time that early Parliamentary elections were held in Finland was in 1975. At that time the President did not need an initiative from the Prime Minister to call snap elections.

More on this subject:
 Poll: Majority say campaign contribution flap not weakening confidence in politicians

Previously in HS International Edition:
  CEO of Nova Group claims Centre supports real estate company in zoning issue (29.5.2008)
  Party leaders agree on EUR 3,000 limit for individual political contributions in municipal elections (28.5.2008)
  COMMENTARY: Money matters (25.5.2008)
  Vanhanen: Campaign finance law changes possible before municipal election (23.5.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat