FINNISH VOTE Centre Party wins narrow victory as Finland shifts to the right

FINNISH VOTE Centre Party wins narrow victory as Finland shifts to the right

	Published : Mon, 19 Mar 2007 07:19 By : Agencies Print this Story

HELSINKI (AFX) - Finland looked set to switch to a centre-right coalition government after Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's Centre Party clinched a narrow victory over the resurgent opposition conservatives in Sunday's parliamentary elections.

With all ballots counted, the Centre Party won 51 seats, four fewer than in the 2003 election, but one more than Jyrki Katainen's National Coalition Party will hold in the 200-seat parliament.

The conservatives rebounded from a poor showing in the 2003 election when it won 40 seats to take second spot from the Social Democratic Party, led by finance minister Eero Heinaluoma.

The Social Democrats, which have served in government with the Centre Party and the Swedish People's Party since 2003, won just 45 seats, eight fewer than four years ago.

While polls ahead of Sunday's vote had pointed to a very close three-way race, they had consistently placed the conservatives third in the running.

Observers said Vanhanen would probably now look to build a government with the conservatives to obtain a majority.

In theory, however, he could opt to continue in a centre-left alliance with the Social Democrats and a smaller third party.

'It would require violent actions from our competitors for Kokoomus (the conservatives) not to be taken into government,' Katainen said last night. 'Kokoomus is of course the biggest winner in these elections and the second-largest party... Kokoomus cannot be sidelined from government.'

Vanhanen meanwhile insisted that 'all options are open'.

Among the smaller opposition parties, the Left Alliance obtained 17 seats, two fewer than in 2003, while the Greens added a seat, taking their total tally to 15.

Turnout was an historically low 67.8 pct -- down from 69.7 pct four years ago -- which Heinaluoma said could partly explain his party's disappointment at the polls.

'Everything in the campaign didn't quite hit the mark,' he was quoted as saying by Helsingin Sanomat.

james.etheridge@thomson.com

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