Finland's Foreign Minister Vies to Be Finland's First Woman President
ASIEH NAMDAR, CNN ANCHOR: A decisive second round of voting is underway in Finland's presidential elections. This Sunday, Finnish voters will choose between foreign minister Tarja Halonen and the centrist opposition leader Esko Aho. Halonen is vying to be Finland's first woman president. As Finland's YLE reports, gender may play a key role as both candidates have rather similar views on most policy issues.</s>MIKA MAKELAINEN, YLE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Foreign minister Tarja Halonen has easily won the first round of presidential elections three weeks ago. But as a Social Democrat just like outgoing President Martti Ahtisaari, Haloren is known to support the Nordic welfare state and is most popular in the urban south. The dependent, Esko Aho, is the leader of the centrist opposition, and draws most of his support from the conservative countryside. In exclusive interviews with CNN WORLD REPORT, both candidates stick to Finland's traditional policy of nonalignment within the European monetary union, but not as member of</s>NATO. ESKO AHO, FINNISH PRES. CANDIDATE: I believe that Finland has a possibility to play an important role in Europe without being a member of</s>NATO. TARJA HALONEN, FINNISH PRES. CANDIDATE: The close cooperation between the European Union and NATO is a very natural -- it's pragmatic.</s>MAKELAINEN: The president's role in Finland has been reduced to foreign policy, but without major disputes, campaigning has focused on agenda. Finland was the first country in Europe to give full political rights to women. But a woman president would be historic. (on camera): Who are you going to vote for, for president?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tarja Halonen.</s>MAKELAINEN: Why?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I think she is the most qualified one. She is my favorite.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her work as the minister of foreign affairs has been quite remarkable.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe this time it's better to vote woman.</s>HALONEN: I don't say that the previous 10 presidents have been elected because they were men. But, it would be nice to get also a woman.</s>MAKELAINEN (voice-over): Behind the smile, her opponents see a former radical who has quit the church as a single mother, and has refused to marry her longtime companion. No wonder that Aho, married and a father of four, has attacked by campaigning on traditional family values.</s>AHO: We have a lot of problems with the education of children and young people with the values which we educate.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He will be the example for many people and for many families.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Esko defends countryside.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is good looking and young.</s>MAKELAINEN (on camera): The new ruler of this presidential palace will face a tough challenge in keeping up his or her popularity. Promises are always easy to make, but at a time when Finland is reducing the political powers of the president, they are not easy to keep. Mika Makelainen, Finnish Television, for CNN WORLD REPORT.