PM Vanhanen disqualifies himself from decision making on Sipoo border change

Helsinki wants to annex land from eastern neighbour

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Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) has decided to disqualify himself from taking part in a government decision on a proposal to alter the municipal border between Helsinki and Sipoo. The Prime Minister feels that he should not take part in the decision, because of his active role in initiating the process.
      Vanhanen is the sixth minister to have declared a conflict of interest in the Sipoo question.
      Also disqualifying themselves from taking part in the decision have been government ministers Jan Vapaavuori (Nat. Coalition Party), Sari Sarkomaa (Nat. Coalition Party), Mari Kiviniemi (Centre) and Tuija Brax (Green).
      Of the Centre Party's ministers Mauri Pekkarinen (Centre) also sees himself as having a conflict of interest.
     
The Ministry of the Interior has completed its preparations for the Sipoo municipal border shift. The matter is to be presented in the government by the Minister for Immigration and European Affairs, Astrid Thors (Swed. People's Party).
      Officials of the Ministry of the interior will hold discussions with Thors in the coming cays on when the matter will be brought before the government.
      "The timetable must be resolved this week, because Midsummer week, before summer vacations, is the only possible one from the point of view of decision-making", says Arto Sulonen, a top official at the Ministry of the Interior.
      A decision on when the issue is to be presented is in the hands of Astrid Thors.
      Helsingin Sanomat has learned that the leaders of the government party groups have initially said that a decision should be made on the matter before summer holidays begin. The government is expected to decide on the border shift before Thursday next week.
     
Deputy Chancellor of Justice Jaakko Jonkka feels that it is understandable that those ministers who were involved in a decision of the Helsinki City Council last year calling for the border changes with Sipoo have disqualified themselves. Jonkka feels that a clear conflict of interest is involved in these cases.
      However, he is not so sure about the other ministers who pulled out of the decision.
      "Contrary to what is the case in courts, it appears that in administrative practice it is rather exceptional that opinions expressed publicly would constitute a conflict of interest."
      Jonkka feels that there are almost no legal precedents on the matter, and that even in legal literature, a conflict of interest can be seen to exist only in exceptional circumstances.
     
Isn't it rather strange if a politician cannot express an opinion out of fear that it might establish a conflict of interest?
      "I can say nothing more than that is the case. Naturally a politician must be able to take stands on topical questions in society. It would seem quite natural even from the point of view of the democratic system and freedom of expression", Jonkka says.
      By disqualifying themselves, the ministers also make sure that no conflict of interest that they might have could cause a decision for changes in the border to be overturned by the Supreme Administrative Court.
     
A proposal to alter the border between Helsinki and the southwest part of Sipoo has been made by both the City of Helsinki and Pekka Myllyniemi, a rapporteur appointed by the Ministry of the Interior.
      Under the proposal, which is to be put before the government, Helsinki would get about 30 square kilometres of land that is now a part of Sipoo.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Helsinki administration demand rules in negotiations with Sipoo (19.9.2006)
  Helsinki uses threats to pressure Sipoo to change boundaries (15.9.2006)
  In the annexing department, Helsinki has a history of getting its way (3.9.2006)
  Helsinki wants to expand to western parts of Sipoo (20.6.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat