From: Hannele Lehtikuusi Subject: FINLAND/GREAT NEWS, May 30 Date: Thu, 30 May 1996 13:41:44 +0300 (EET DST) Hannele Lehtikuusi chairperson SETA Finland haski@seta.fi Unexpected support! PRIME MINISTER LIPPONEN SIGNED THE BILL ON SAME SEX MARRIAGE Most of the Ministers to follow! Mr Paavo Lipponen, Prime Minister has yesterday signed the Private Bill on the partnership of same-sex couples. Most of the Social Democratic Ministers have followed his example. The Ministers of the Left-Wing Alliance will sign the bill today. It is expected also that Minister Enestam, the Swedish Peoples Party will sign the bill. Then, over a half of the Ministers will have supported the bill. This, somewhat peculiar gesture, is of utmost psychological importance. In the Finnish system, it is not customary for the Ministers to sign Private Bills. Thus, this very case emphasises the clear standing of the Ministers in support of the bill. There was an attempt in the Cabinet to embark on the preparations of the law last March, but nothing came out of it due to the Minister of Justice, Mr Hakamies explicitly refusing to initiate the preparations. According to the information available now, there is a distinct majority in favour of the law in the Law Committee of the Parliament, which means that the bill will be taken up for further preparation. The signatures of the Ministers emphasises the value of the bill and renders it a status (far) above any regular law in preparation.