1978 Finnish presidential election

none Finland presidential 1968 Finnish presidential election 1968 1982 Finnish presidential election 1982 15–16 January 1978 Urho-Kekkonen-1977 (cropped).jpg Urho Kekkonen Centre Party (Finland) 2,017,631 259 Raino-Westerholm-1977 (cropped).jpg Raino Westerholm Christian League 215,244 25 Veikkovennamo1988 (cropped).jpg Veikko Vennamo Finnish Rural Party 114,488 10 Constitutional Right Party CPP Ahti M. Salonen CPP 82,478 6 President Urho Kekkonen Centre Party (Finland) Urho Kekkonen Centre Party (Finland) Two-stage presidential elections were held in Finland in 1978. They were the first elections since 1968, as Parliament had extended Urho Kekkonen's term by four years.Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p630 978-3-8329-5609-7 The public elected presidential electors to an electoral college on 15 and 16 January.Nohlen & Stöver, p606 The electors, in turn assembled in Helsinki on 15 February to formally elect the President. Urho Kekkonen, president since 1956, was re-elected on the first ballot by the electors. The turnout for the popular vote was 64%.Nohlen & Stöver, p624 Kekkonen had agreed to become the Social Democratic presidential candidate in April 1975, and after that all the major Finnish political parties chose him as their candidate. Kekkonen's opponents, such as the Christian League's presidential candidate Raino Westerholm, claimed that Kekkonen's long presidency weakened Finnish democracy. Over one-third of Finnish voters abstained from voting, partly as a protest against Kekkonen's expected landslide victory. The 77-year-old Kekkonen's health was already declining, although this was not easily noticeable in his public appearances.Timo Vihavainen (2003) "The Welfare Finland" (Hyvinvointi-Suomi), pp883–884 in Seppo Zetterberg et al., eds., A Small Giant of the Finnish History, WSOYPentti Virrankoski (2009) A History of Finland, Finnish Literature Society, p963Aarno Laitinen et al., eds. (1981) Tamminiemi's Inheritance Dividers, Journalists LtdFinland's Kekkonen Seems Indispensable Seeger Murray Los Angeles Times 1 February 1978 I-A-1 Results Popular vote Supporters of Urho Kekkonen 10 Social Democratic Party 569154 74 Centre Party (Finland) Centre Party 475372 64 Finnish People's Democratic League 445098 56 National Coalition Party 360310 45 Swedish People's Party 88054 12 Liberals 71232 8 Åland Coalition 5331 1 Socialist Workers Party 2187 0 Private Entrepreneurs' Party fi Suomen Yksityisyrittäjäin Puolue 893 0 2017631 260 Finnish Christian League 215244 24 Finnish Rural Party 114488 10 Constitutional People's Party 82478 6 Finnish People's Unity Party 18543 0 21955 3844279 0 Nohlen & Stöver Electoral college Urho Kekkonen Centre Party 259 Raino Westerholm Finnish Christian League 25 Veikko Vennamo Finnish Rural Party 10 Ahti M. Salonen fi Constitutional People's Party 6 Nohlen & Stöver References Category:Presidential elections in Finland Finland President Finland