The mandates of the MPs were checked yestarday. Centre Party's Paavo Vayrynen, however, has decided not to get his mandate verified. Vayrynen is a member of the European Parliament. He has announced that unless he gets a ministerial post or is chosen as the Speaker of the Parliament, he will carry on his work in the European Parliament.
Vayrynen's decision means that at the moment the National Coalition (NCP) and the Center Parties both have 50 seats in the Parliament.
If Vayrynen had had his mandate checked he would be unable to carry on in the European Parliament. So Vayrynen is securing he still has the next best post (in Vayrynen's view) if he is not elected as the Speaker or as a Secretary of State. For him, it seems, being 'just' a member of the Finnish Parliament is the least appealing choise. Vayrynen belongs to the group of 'veteran' politicians as he already has a long political path behind him. Indeed, he has been involved in politics longer than I can remember. In my view he has always been the one, who somehow manages to stir things up and cause reactions from the public. I can understand Vayrynen's ambition to get a senior government post, but his tactics are sure to anger some people. And according to Finnish national tabloid Iltalehti (fi), they already have.
Negotiations to form the new government are due to start on Thursday. Vanhanen is likely to lead the process.
Meanwhile, harri Jaskari, the former party secretary of NCP and newly elected MP, has been convicted of threatening to kill his ex- girlfriend. Jaskari expressed his shock over the court's decision, and insisted that he was innocent. Jaskari was first suspected of pimping the ex-girlfriend, and of other threats, but charges were not brought against him due to lack of evidence.
The scandal, obvoiusly, didn't damage Jaskari's reputation as much as to stop him from being elected.
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