--- SEARCH ---
WEATHER
CHINA
INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS
CULTURE
GOVERNMENT
SCI-TECH
ENVIRONMENT
SPORTS
LIFE
PEOPLE
TRAVEL
WEEKLY REVIEW
Chinese Women
Film in China
War on Poverty
Learning Chinese
Learn to Cook Chinese Dishes
Exchange Rates
Hotel Service
China Calendar
Telephone and
Postal Codes
Hot Links
China Development Gateway
Chinese Embassies
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the UN
Permanent Mission of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other International Organizations in Switzerland
Manufacturers, Exporters, Wholesalers - Global trade starts here.
Finland's First Woman Prime Minister Resigns over Political Scandal
Finland's first woman prime minister, Anneli Jaatteenmaki, resigned on Wednesday amid accusations that she used leaked secret information on Iraq to help win parliamentary elections in March, local reports in Helsinki said.

Jaatteenmaki, whose Center Party won a narrow victory in the March 16 general election over the ruling Social Democrats, was accused of using confidential information on talks between her predecessor, Paavo Lipponen, and US President George W. Bush on Iraq to attack Lipponen, who was seeking a third term at that time, said the reports.

Earlier on Wednesday, Jaatteenmaki told the parliament that she had not actively sought the secret documents. However, Martti Manninen, an aide to President Tarja Halonen, said Jaatteenmaki had approached him before parliamentary elections asking him for information on Iraq, according to the reports.

Prior to Jaatteenmaki's resignation, leaders of the Center Party and the Social Democrats held separate meetings to discuss the fate of the cabinet. It was not immediately clear how soon a new government would be formed.

(Xinhua News Agency June 19, 2003)

Print This Page
|
Email This Page
About Us SiteMap Feedback
Copyright © China Internet Information Center. All Rights Reserved
E-mail: webmaster@china.org.cn Tel: 86-10-68326688