Celebs, Political Veterans Gear Up for '07 Election

By now most of the candidates for next spring's parliamentary elections have thrown their hats in the ring, though there may well still be some surprises on the way.

The biggest surprise on the SDP list came in the Helsinki district, where foreign minister Erkki Tuomioja is listed as the party's lead candidate ahead of party chair Eero Heinäluoma -- whom he challenged unsuccessfully for the post last year. Meanwhile on the list of SDP candidates for the greater Uusimaa region features radio and TV personality Maria Guzenina in the number-two slot.

Indeed, the big parties' eagerness to sign up celebrity candidates with little or no political background shows no sign of letting up. The SDP list also includes Marko Asell, whose claim to fame was a silver medal in wrestling at the Olympic Games a decade ago.

Former Party Chairs Uncertain The Centre Party, meanwhile, won the bidding for Markku Uusipaavalniemi, who led the Finnish curling team to a silver medal in last winter's Olympics. The Centre also hopes to attract young voters with rap star Pikku Gee, whose real name is Henri Vähäkainu. Meanwhile former party chair and short-term prime minister Anneli Jäätteenmäki is still weighing a return to national politics. So is former conservative vote magnet, Kirsi Piha. Her National Coalition party has picked up Arto Lahti, who ran for president as an independent, and former Green MP and animal rights activist Hannele Luukkainen. The biggest question mark for the conservatives remains former chair Sauli Niinistö, who has denied he will run, but remains active in the party -- and high in the popularity ratings. Another Niinistö is running, though: his nephew Ville Niinistö is considered a strong contender for the Green League. The Left Alliance is also relying on familiar names: even former party leader Claes Andersson is pondering a return to the House of Parliament.