Election Surprise In Finland
(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter—Copyright) HELSINKI, March 22. A landslide Social Democrat victory in Finland’s General Elections today posed some awkward problems for a country whose powerful Soviet neighbour makes no secret of its dislike of the party. Provisional results released early today after Sunday and Monday’s polling showed that the Social Democrats had won 55 seats—a gain of 17 — in the 200-member Parliament
The Centre Party of President Urho Kekkonen, which dominated the previous coalition, won 49 seats—a loss of four—and the Communists won 42 seats compared with 47 in 1962.
A leftward swing had been widely expected but the large Social Democrat gains and the Communist losses upset all calculations.
Many observers here had thought that the result of the election would bring the Communists into the next government, but this is now far from certain.
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Press, Volume CV, Issue 31016, 23 March 1966, Page 19
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139Election Surprise In Finland Press, Volume CV, Issue 31016, 23 March 1966, Page 19
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