Latest polls reveal growing uncertainty in presidential race

With just two days to go, the Finnish presidential race has turned into a battle among the three main candidates, spurred by a surge in the polls for the Perussuomalaiset (Finns Party) candidate Jussi Halla-aho and an increase in the number of undecided voters, reported Xinhua.

With Halla-aho's support rising to 18 percent in two polls this week, uncertainty has arisen over which two candidates will make it to the decisive second round, dominated so far by Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) candidate Alexander Stubb and independent Vihreä Liitto (Green Party) candidate Pekka Haavisto.

Stubb has maintained the lead position, now at 27 percent in a poll by the national broadcaster Yle published on Thursday, and at 24 percent in a poll by a leading Finnish language daily Helsingin Sanomat. However, support for Stubb has come down from 31 percent in a Yle poll in December.

Haavisto has remained at 23 percent in the Yle poll, and 22 percent in the Helsingin Sanomat poll. Halla-aho, at 18 percent in both polls, has surpassed Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party of Finland) candidate Olli Rehn. Rehn has also risen in the Yle poll to 14 percent, from 12 percent in December.

The percentage of undecided voters has increased in the Yle poll to 25 percent, from around 10 percent in December.

Advance balloting ended on Wednesday, with 45 percent of the electorate having voted.

Jari Pajunen, director of the pollster company Taloustutkimus, said that even major changes can take place during the last few days. "The order of the top three remains open," he added.

Explaining the decline of Stubb, Pajunen noted that among under-35s Halla-aho and Haavisto now have equal support, while Stubb has fallen to third place. Stubb has also lost support to Halla-aho in general.

Commentators say Halla-aho has been able to dominate publicity around several election debates with a tough stance on domestic issues such as immigration, and has activated the backers of his radical right Perussuomalaiset.

According to Yle's presidential poll, in second-round voting on Feb. 11, Stubb should defeat all his contenders. If Haavisto and Halla-aho were to meet in the second round, Haavisto would defeat Halla-aho with percentages of 63-37.

The apparent decline of the Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (Social Democratic Party of Finland -SDP) has been seen as an indication of tactical backing. Although the Social Democrats are the second-largest party in Finland after the Conservatives, with support of around 20 percent, their presidential candidate Jutta Urpilainen has declined in the Yle poll from 7 to 5 percent backing. Polls have shown throughout the winter that people voting for the Social Democratic Party in the parliamentary election are gravitating towards Haavisto as the presidential choice.

The first round would suffice if one of the candidates gets over half of the votes. Otherwise, the two candidates with the most votes will meet in the second round.