National Coalition Party MP Marja Tiura discusses claims of threatened defection with Parliamentary group leaders

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National Coalition Party MP Marja Tiura met with leaders of her party’s Parliamentary group on Tuesday morning to discuss reports that she may have threatened to defect to the Centre Party soon after the Parliamentary elections of 2007.
      In a magazine interview last week Tiura, a deputy chair of her party’s Parliamentary group, claimed that Centre Party Secretary Jarmo Korhonen had tried to entice her to switch to the Centre Party camp after the 2007 election.
     
Korhonen said to Helsingin Sanomat on Wednesday last week that Tiura had been the one who had taken the initiative in the matter, and that businessman Arto Merisalo had served as the go-between in contacts between Tiura and Korhonen.
      Merisalo, the controversial former director of the Nova Group, was behind a group of businessmen who channelled campaign contributions to candidates of their liking. On Friday, he backed up Korhonen’s version of the events, and said that he has recordings to prove that Tiura had approached the Centre Party and not vice-versa.
      The alleged reason for a possible defection by Tiura was disappointment that she had not been given a ministerial portfolio in the government formation talks after the election.
     
On Monday Tiura insisted that she had never considered defecting to the Centre, and challenged those who claim otherwise to produce the evidence.
      The Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE) reported on Tuesday that during the government formation talks, businessmen linked with the Nova Group had been in contact with Centre Party leaders over the issue of a possible ministerial portfolio for Marja Tiura.
      On the possible removal of Tiura from her post in the party’s Parliamentary group leadership, the group’s chairman Pekka Ravi said that the presidium of the party leadership is dependent on the confidence of the group’s members. “There can be a vote on confidence at any time”, he said.
      The coming days are expected to be crucial for MP Marja Tiura.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Centre Party Secretary Jarmo Korhonen: “Tiura sought to switch to Centre Party camp” (1.4.2010)
  Police suspect MP Marja Tiura of taking a bribe (3.12.2009)
  National Coalition Party and candidates to return donations from Nova Group (17.9.2009)

Helsingin Sanomat