Finnish Parliament Dissolved

Press, Volume C, Issue 29672, 16 November 1961, Page 21

Finnish Parliament Dissolved

<* Z Praa, AMoeMMoa—Cepynyht) HELSINKI, November 15. ~n A_ Zi n ’nnounced the dissolution of its -M-mwnber Parliament last night, in a surprise move seen as the direct outcome of the Soviet defence consultations Note of October

Th* diaeolution decision may be regarded M p rem . dent Kekkonens reply to the Russian request for assurances that there will be no change in the Finnish (neu•■all foreign policy, according to a Finnish Foreign Office spokesman. By dissolving Parliament, with elections to be held on February 4 and 5, the Preside"'- had passed the whole issue over to the electorate, the spokesman said Soviet Option The Soviet Union has g ven Finland the choice of either guaranteeing to con- • rue friendly relations with her or entering mutual defence discussions.

Mr Kekkonen’s announcement added: "As it is pass'hie to create conditions for fruitful national co-operation only by turning directly to •re people of Finland I a«k that the Parliament be dissolved and new elections be held" Reuter said the dissolution decision came after a Government communique about the talk the Finnish Foreign Minister I Mr Kaejalain) had with the Soviet Foreign Minister <Mr Gromyko) in Moscow last Saturday in connexion with the Ru’s'sn Vite to Finland on October 30 The communique said Mr G-omyko had told his F-n--rsh colleague that the Soviet Union considered the p-esent political situation in F eland unstable. Mr Gromyko had asked for assurances as soon as possible that Finland’s present neutral foreign policy would continue and that nothing would prevent the development of friendly relation* h-ween Finland and the Soviet Union. It was understood in Hel- » -ki that the Russian* had s'ked for these assurances •before the coming elections” hat is before the Presidental election next January >*d the Parliamentary electons. which had been scheduled for next summer. Election Date An official announcement said general elections scheduled for next summer ould now be held on February 4 and 3. with the present Parliament continuing :t a caretaker capacity until February IT. It was understood the Prerdentiai election would take

place as planned in January and February. The decision to dissolve Parliament came as a comblet* surprise in Finnish Parliamentary circles. Finland has been ruled by an Agrarian Party minority government since July this year, when the Prime Minister (Mr Martti Miettunen) failed in an attempt to form a coalition government. The largest party in the 200-seat Parliament is the Communist-dominated FinI ,; *h People's Democratic Union, with 50 seats. The Agrarian Party ha* 47, the Social Democrats 37, the coalition Conservative Party 29. the Swedish People’s Party end the Social Demo-c-atic Opposition 14 each, the Finnish People’s Party eight, and the Small Peasants' Party one. La* 4 general election was in July. 1953.