Mauri Pekkarinen enters race for Centre Party leadership

print this

Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen has decided to seek the chairmanship of the Centre Party.
      Pekkarinen made his announcement at a press conference in Helsinki on Friday morning.
     
Pekkarinen is the fourth declared candidate for the Centre Party leadership, which is being vacated by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.
      Other declared candidates include Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Paavo Väyrynen, Minister of Administrative and Municipal Affairs Mari Kiviniemi, and MP Timo Kaunisto.
     
Pekkarinen said that he wants to be the leader of the Centre Party and the Prime Minister of Finland, because he feels that in order to get out of the recession, Finland needs an “inspirational mover, and doer, with vision and an edge”.
      Pekkarinen emphasised that Finland needs “a bright vision, a credible vision of a desirable and possible future - the kind in which every Finn is needed, where every Finn will find his or her place, home, work, and security.”
      The Centre Party will choose a new leader at the party’s congress in Lahti in mid-June.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Battle for the Centre Party chair is warming up (8.1.2010)
  Paavo Väyrynen seeks return to Centre Party leadership (20.1.2010)
  Pekkarinen expresses hope that Matti Vanhanen would continue as Prime Minister (14.1.2010)
  Vanhanen: careful consideration behind decision to give up Centre Party leadership (31.12.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat