Finland Times

Thursday, 28 March, 2024
Home NATIONALParties elect parliamentary group chairs
Print
Fri, 24 Apr, 2015 12:05:32 AM
FTimes – STT Report, April 24
 
The parliamentary group heads at a meeting in parliament on Thursday. Photo – Lehtikuva.
The upcoming parliament took first steps on Thursday by selecting the heads of political parties’ parliamentary groups.
 
Two parties – Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP) and the Vasemmistoliito (Left Alliance) – brought changes in the leadership of the parliamentary groups while the other major parties kept them unchanged.
 
The Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP) elected Antti Lindtman as its parliamentary group chair after the incumbent chair Jouni Backman had failed in his re-election bid.
 
The former chair of SDP, Jutta Urpilainen, said she did not seek the post of the chair of parliamentary group, although she had received a lot of requests to stand for it. However, Urpilainen said she respected the wish of the party chair not to stand.
 
According to Urpilainen, Rinne said the reason for her not to stand was due to the fact that the two represent two different political lines.
 
The Vasemmistoliito (Left Alliance) chose Aino-Kaisa Pekonen as the new chair of its parliamentary group.
 
Pekonen will take place of Annika Lapintie who has led the Left Alliance parliamentary group for nine years. Lapintie herself wanted to relinquish the post.
 
Meanwhile, Kimmo Tiilikainen will continue to lead the Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) parliamentary group. So do Arto Satonen (Kansallinen Kokoomus), Jari Lindström (Perussuomalaiset), Outi Alanko-Kahiluoto (Vihreä liitto), Mikaela Nylander (Suomen ruotsalainen kansanpuolue), and Peter Östman (Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit).
 
The new heads of the groups will play a crucial role in the negotiations to form a new coalition government.
 
The opening of the negotiations to form a new government will officially begin on Tuesday next week as the parties appoint pathfinders.
 
The parliamentary groups agreed on a timetable at a joint meeting on Thursday evening.
 
Tiilikainen said the pathfinders will be presented with a list of questions immediately on Tuesday to which they have to submit their response on the eve of May Day.
 
comments powered by Disqus
More News

 
   
Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved
Developed By -