Police and ombudsman seek answers over Kemijärvi council walkout

Finland’s Parliamentary Ombudsman and police are seeking explanations after 12 members of Kemijärvi’s city council walked out of a meeting in May, Yle reports. The walkout left the council without a quorum and forced the meeting to be suspended.

The dispute arose during a discussion about removing the chair and deputy chairs of the city executive board. Those who left said they considered the proposal unlawful. The meeting was completed in June, when the executive board’s leadership was replaced.

A councillor who remained at the meeting complained to the Parliamentary Ombudsman, asking it to assess whether the walkout complied with councillors’ duties under municipal law, principles of good administration and the proper functioning of local decision-making.

In its response, the city said the councillors had not intended to prevent decision-making, noting that they took part when the meeting resumed in June. Several councillors told the ombudsman they had left because they considered the preparation of the matter legally questionable or insufficient. Some described the meeting as an attempted “coup”, while others gave “other reason” as their explanation.

In August, the city also asked police to investigate the matter. The investigation is ongoing. One councillor cited the pending police inquiry and declined to provide further details to the ombudsman.

Political tensions in Kemijärvi, a city in Lapland, have continued. In early November, the council voted to appoint another temporary committee to prepare the removal of the city executive board, citing a lack of confidence. The vote was tied 13-13, with one councillor abstaining; the chair’s vote decided the outcome.

The city executive board is due to consider its response to the ombudsman’s complaint next week.