Vasemmistoliito nominates Kyllönen for presidential polls

The Finnish 2018 presidential election got a third official contender as the Vasemmistoliito (Left Alliance) on Saturday elected Meja Kyllönen, the party's sole Member of European Parliament, as its candidate.

Kyllönen told local media that in her campaign she would underline peace and everyday living conditions of common people. Originally a worker's party, Left Alliance is now seen increasingly as a competitor to the Green Party for the vote of young urban professionals.

Kyllönen, 40, is a bioanalyst in her original profession. She was elected to the parliament in 2007 and she served as Minister of Transport in 2011-2014.

The major question for the 2018 presidential election is whether the incumbent president Sauli Niinisto will seek re-election. If he runs, his chances are considered excellent for a second term. Should Niinisto choose not to run, the political battle ground would see heavy fighting.

The Vihreä liitö' (Green League) has nominated its 2012 candidate, Member of Parliament Pekka Haavisto. In 2012 he got 37 percent of the vote in the second round while Niinisto got 62 percent.

The Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) candidate is former prime minister Matti Vanhanen. He ran previously in 2006 but did not make it to the second round.

Other parties have not announced their candidates.

After several constitutional changes in recent decades, Finnish president's power has been limited, but the president still has a key role in foreign policy, albeit defined in the constitution as "together with the cabinet".