Sauli Niinistö (National Coalition) defeated Pekka Haavisto (Green League) for the Finnish Presdency in voting concluded on Sun. Feb. 5, 62.6% to 37.4%. The winner received 1,802,400 votes to Haavisto's 1,076.957 votes. With some exceptions, the electoral district percentage results were approximately the same. Niinistö only won in the Helsiniki District by 1300 votes, 50.2 - 49.8%. The most lopsided vote for Niinistö was in the Vaasa District, 72.13 to 27.13%. Haavisto's only victorious district was in Ahvenenmaa (Aaland Islands, 6)-40% In the advance voting the winner was ahead 65-4% to 34.6%. The final percentage of those eligible to vote who did was 68.8 per cent, a drop from 72.8% in the first round two weeks ago. The vote was a considerable drop from six years ago when retiring President Tarja Halonen defeated Niinistö, 73.9 per cent voting in the first round to 77.2% in the run-off. Niinistö will be sworn into office on March 1.
Harry Siitonen
NOTES: The final runoff vote for the Finnish presidential election will take place on Sunday at the polls in Finland. The top finalists from the first round are Sauli Niinistö (National Coalition Party) and Pekka Haavisto (Green League). A total of 1,565,987 have already cast their ballots in the early voting in the final , both in Finland and elsewhere in the world. The largest absentee vote in other countries was in Sweden with 11,949 votes. Elsewhere: Spain 8,308, USA 3,568, UK 3,239, Germany 3,096, Thailand 2,678, Belgium, 1,536. A total of 224 voted at the polling place at Berkeley's Kaleva Hall last Saturday. The latest YLE poll indicates that Niinistö has a 62-38% lead over Haavisto, although a lot of voters are still undecided. Haavisto, who represents the smallish Green League, was an upset finalist from the first round, in which 8 candidates vuied for the presidency. Check www.hs.fi Sunday for the results. The winner will succeed President Tarja Halonen who has served for 12 years.
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