Väyrynen to contest Presidential polls

The newly formed Kansalaispuolue (Citizen’s Party) leader Paavo Väyrynen announced to contest in the upcoming Presidential polls, reported national broadcaster Yle.

Väyrynen, a Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) Member of European Parliament, who formed the new political party also announced to step down from the post of the Chairman of the party for contesting in the 2018 presidential elections.

Another party leader Sami Kilpeläinen will replace Väyrynen, a 70-year old Eurosceptic politician as the Chairman of the party.

In February 2016, when he was serving as a Keskusta member of European Parliament, Väyrynen announced to form a political party which he later formed 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.

Väyrynen served as a lawmaker from 1970 to 1995 and again from 2007 to 2011. He has also held many ministerial portfolios, including Foreign Minister.

Earlier Väyrynen contested in the Presidential elections as the candidate of Keskusta for three times and secured second position in 1988, third in 1994 and in 2012.

Väyrynen said his party will form an election committee on December 6, if he gets the required quota of 20,000 "support cards" - written expressions of delegate support - before that date.

So far, Pekka Haavisto of Vihreä liitö (Green League), Merja Kyllönen of Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance), Nils Torvalds of Suomenruotsalainenkansanpuolue (Swedish People’s Party of Finland-RKP) and Matti Vanhanen of Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) have announced their candidature for the polls while the incumbent President Sauli Niinistö has also said that he will run again.