Finland Times

 

Blue-green logo leaping salmon, the emblem of Kansalaispuolue (Citizen’s Party). File Photo – Lehtikuva.

Paavo Väyrynen is considering renaming the Kansalaispuolue (Citizen’s Party) he has formed.

 

According to Väyrynen, the name Kansalaispuolue is misleading as it contains the phrase ‘puolue,’ which means party but is not used normally to mean a political party.

 

The Finnish language daily Iltalehti on Thursday reported that the party project of Väyrynen, a former member of the European Parliament, has hit a snag due to miscalculation. The number of cards of its supporters is 1,300 less than the 5,000 cards required for it to be registered as a political party.

 

Väyrynen said collecting supporter’s cards has proven to be more laborious than anticipated. He said it is a problem that the cards cannot be signed electronically.

 

Väyrynen, however, has six months more to collect the required number of supporter ’s cards.

 

In February, when he was serving as a Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) member of European Parliament, Väyrynen announced to form a political party. He later formed the party under the name of Kansalaispuolue (Citizen’s Party).

 

In April he also made public the party emblem designed with a leaping Salmon in a blue-green logo.

 

The new party plans to participate in the next parliamentary elections slated for 2019.