Jussi Halla-aho is confident of a parliamentary seat in 2011.

The controversial municipal politician announced his candidacy on an anti-immigration website, the national daily Helsingin Sanomat reports.

“MUNICIPAL politician Jussi Halla-aho, known for his polemical blog writings on immigration, will run in the spring 2011 general election as an independent candidate on the Perussuomalaiset list.

He announced his candidacy on Thursday evening at the Homma Forum website, which is a web community and discussion site for people who are critical of immigration.

Timo Soini, the Chairman of the Perussuomalaiset, refused to accept the independent Halla-aho as a candidate in last summer’s European parliamentary election.

Now Soini writes on his blog that he approves of Halla-aho’s general election candidacy. Halla-aho was elected to the City Council of Helsinki as an independent Perussuomalaiset candidate in autumn 2008.”

HELSINGIN SANOMAT 4 March
LEHTIKUVA - Kimmo Mäntylä