Pirate Party gets official political party status

Required 5,000 signatures submitted to Ministry of Justice

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The Pirate Party has been included in the official party registry maintained by the Ministry of Justice. As a registered party it is entitled to field candidates in upcoming elections.
      Pirate Party chairman Pasi Palmulehto says that the party expects to field at least one candidate in the special municipal elections in Loviisa, in the autumn.
      The special election is prompted by the merger of four adjacent municipalities.
      In the Parliamentary elections of 2011, the party hopes to field candidates in every electoral district, and to get one or two of its candidates into Parliament.
     
Concentrating on issues related to copyrights, privacy, and freedom of expression, the Pirate Party submitted its application to the Ministry of Justice in early June.
      The group then collected the necessary signatures of 5,000 supporters.
      Palmulehto said that collecting the signatures was hard work, but it was fun.
     
With the arrival of the Pirate Party, there are now 15 registered political parties in Finland.
      Sweden’s Pirate Party caused something of a sensation in the European Parliament elections in June by getting one of its members elected to the body with 7.1 per cent of the vote.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Captain of a pirate ship (7.6.2009)
  Finnish Pirate Party files for party registration (2.6.2009)

Links:
  Piraattipuolue (Pirate Party of Finland) website

Helsingin Sanomat