The National Coalition Party (NCP) has also spoken up in favour of equal marriage rights, Prime Minister Alexander Stubb (NCP) reminds in a blog entry posted on Saturday. In a party conference in Jyväskylä in 2010, NCP delegates voted overwhelmingly in favour of proposals calling for the extension of marriage rights to same-sex couples.
“The party conference ruled that the grounds for a marriage should be a question to be determined by the spouses and that the state should have no need to intervene in the gender or orientation represented by the parties to be married,” he highlights.
The party conference also pointed out that its position is not an attempt to intervene in the internal affairs of churches and religious communities with respect to religious services and that upon possible parliamentary consideration the question should be one of conscience.
“I recognise that views on the matter vary within our party and respect them in accordance with the decision of the party conference. A survey carried out by Taloustutkimus in March indicates that nearly 70 per cent of the National Coalition supporters advocate anequal marriage law and roughly one-quarter oppose it,” the newly-appointed Prime Minister states.
Martta Nieminen – HS
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
© HELSINGIN SANOMAT
Photo: Benjamin Suomela
