Municipal election campaign on across country

Municipal election campaign has started to gain momentum in Rovaniemi as elsewhere in the country.

Although the candidates of the major municipalities are very active with their election campaigning, most of the small municipalities were found quite calm and cool in this regard.

In Rovaniemi, the first major campaigning was seen at Rovaniemi Spring Market where most of the major political parties set up their election camps to introduce their candidates to the people, in addition to setting up posters by the roadsides.

Leaders, activists and candidates of the ruling Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party), Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party), Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party), the main opposition Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland-SDP), Vasemmistoliitto (Left Alliance), Suomen Kristillisdemokraatit (Christian Democrats of Finland) and Suomen Kommunistinen Puolue (Communist Party of Finland -SKP) were seen involved in conducting mass contact at Spring Market on March 21 and 22.

“We are here to urge people to cast votes in favour of our party candidates in the municipality polls,” one Suomen Keskusta candidate told Daily Finland, adding that they are expecting at least 16 seats in the council, same as what they had won in the previous polls.

Another SDP leader said they set up the camp at Spring Market not only to attract voters but also to collect peoples’ opinions on different issues.

She said her party is eying more seats this year than the eight they won in the previous election.

The candidates of the Kansallinen Kokoomus who were found to distribute leaflets among the visitors said they would like to conduct extensive mass campaign to ensure an adequate representation in the Rovaniemi City Council.

They said they would be happy if they got seats similar to the previous polls, as the total number of the councillors in the city has been reduced this year.

“Earlier the total number of councillors was 59, but it has been reduced to 51 this year,” one Kokoomus candidate said, adding that last time his party got 12 seats.

Candidates of all the parties, however, urged the city people to exercise their franchise in the polls and most of the parties emphasised encouraging the immigrants to take part in the polls.

The parties having insignificant or no representation in the city council and who do not expect any seat were also found to have set up camp at the market with the view to keep the party activities vibrant.

“We have nominated only two candidates for the Rovaniemi city polls and we know the possibility of their wining is very thin. But we are contesting the polls and have come here for campaigning to keep the party activities vibrant,” said Suomen Kommunistinen Puolue Lapland Unit General Secretary Tapio Siirilä to Daily Finland. His party is going to celebrate its 100 years next year, he added.

The elections will be held on April 9, but voters will be able to cast votes in advance from March 29 to April 4.