President Halonen accused of playing politics in crisis management issue

Markku Rossi

Tarja Halonen

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MP Markku Rossi, ranking Centre Party member on the Parliament’s Constitutional Law Committee, sharply denies accusations that the committee had "played politics" on Friday in its controversial vote in which it rejected the government’s proposal for crisis management legislation. In Rossi’s view, President Tarja Halonen did play politics on the issue.
      Rossi told Helsingin Sanomat on Tuesday that neither the committee’s chairman Kimmo Sasi (Nat. Coalition), nor the vice chair Arja Alho (SDP) had any political aims to reduce the powers of the President, as had been claimed.
      The committee decided on Friday that the government’s proposal for a crisis management law violates the constitution by giving the President the authority to decide on the deployment of Finnish forces for crisis management operations of the European Union. The committee felt that such authority should be in the hands of the government.
      After the committee’s vote, the government withdrew its bill from Parliament.
      Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen (Centre) accused the committee of making a political decision aimed at encroaching on the powers of the President. The same views were expressed by Finance Minister Eero Heinäluoma (SDP) in somewhat tougher language.
     
"It is always possible to say that a politician is playing politics. The committee sought a genuine solution to a completely new situation", Rossi says.
      "I feel that the President of the Republic has played politics heavily. I have not understood why she has publicly taken up a matter handled by the Constitutional Law Committee. In countries that have a constitutional court, it is not the practice to call the court and tell them what decision to make", Rossi said.
      Finland does not have a constitutional court; the Parliament’s Constitutional Law Committee has the task of ruling on whether or not proposed legislation is compatible with the constitution.
      "There were many messages from the President, also coming to me via the Prime Minister", Rossi added. However, he would not say that the Centre Party members on the committee came under pressure. He also says that Arja Alho and the other Social Democrats on the committee were under strong pressure "from the highest level".
     
The Centre Party members on the committee did not vote with the majority on the committee. However, Rossi sees a very small difference between the two alternatives.
      The Centre Party members on the committee agreed that the proposed law was not in harmony with the constitution. However, it also felt that as changing the wording would lead to practical problems, they voted in favour of the government's proposal. This view was voted down 10-7.
     
The government is now considering a new wording to put forward to Parliament. Rossi feels that the only option is to acommodate the views of the Constitutional Law Committee.
      Rossi says that one possible solution would be to include a statement that it is the government’s obligation to work in cooperation with the President when deciding on the deployment of forces in an EU operation, thus giving the President a role in such decisions.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Legal experts sharply disagree on crisis management bill (29.11.2005)
  Government pulls contorversial crisis management bill out of Parliament (28.11.2005)
  Dispute on new crisis mangement law escalates in Parliament (25.11.2005)
  New wording for crisis management authorisation (21.11.2005)

Helsingin Sanomat