Social Democratic Party chairman Paavo Lipponen said on Wednesday that the Social Democrats have a "strong belief" that President Tarja Halonen will agree to run for a second term as President.
A few weeks ago a group of SDP leaders met with The President to discuss the timetable for the upcoming elections early next year. At that time Halonen reportedly did not say whether or not she would seek re-election.
Party secretary Eero Heinäluoma says that the issue was not directly addressed, because the party had not made a decision to put the question to the President.
"My firm belief is based on the fact that the President is in very good form and condition, and there are no signs that she would want to retire", Lipponen explained.
Halonen now has until the end of August to announce her decision. The party’s potential presidential candidates are to be named by August 31st, and if there is more than one candidate for the Social Democratic Party nomination, the party will hold a primary election on September 24th - 26th.
The SDP’s Presidential candidate will be officially nominated at a meeting of the party’s Council on November 18th - 19th.
At Wednesday's Council meeting, Lipponen called for a halt to moves aimed at further reducing the constitutional powers of the President. Lipponen opposed the idea of making changes to the powers of the President before 2012, because with the elections coming up, it is important for the voters to know what the authority of the President that is to be elected will be.
