Survey: Filatov and Tuomioja most popular in Social Democratic leadership race

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Members of Parliament Tarja Filatov and Erkki Tuomioja enjoy the greatest support in the leadership race for the opposition Social Democratic Party.
      According to a survey of SDP members commissioned by the Finnish Broadcasting Company (YLE), Filatov gets 28 per cent support, and Tuomioja has the backing of 27 per cent of Social Democrats.
     
Next in line are Johannes Koskinen (8 per cent), Jutta Urpilainen (5 per cent), Miapetra Kumpula-Natri (4 per cent), Tuula Haatainen (3 per cent), Kimmo Kiljunen (2 per cent), and Pia Viitanen (2 per cent).
      The most recent candidate for the post, Jouko Skinnari, did not figure in the survey, which was conducted before he announced his candidacy.
     
The Social Democrats will choose a new leader at the party's congress in June.
      When Tuomioja announced his candidacy for the SDP leadership in January this year, his aim was to unseat the current chairman, MP Eero Heinäluoma.
      Heinäluoma's surprise announcement earlier this month that he would not seek re-election threw the race wide open, leading to a surge of hopefuls for the top post in the party, which must also find a new party secretary to replace Maarit Feldt-Ranta, who has announced she will not be seeking re-election, either.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Tuomioja to run for chairman of Social Democratic Party again (14.1.2008)
  Eero Heinäluoma to give up SDP leadership (11.2.2008)
  The Social Democrats have a genuine problem (17.2.2008)
  SDP leadership race: Filatov and Urpilainen seen as favourites (12.2.2008)

Helsingin Sanomat