'Tamilgate' case reveals Danish politics
'Tamilgate' case reveals Danish politics
By Lars Foyen
COPENHAGEN (Reuter): Denmark's 'Tamilgate' drama, which brought down prime minister Poul Schlueter, has entered its final act -- the impeachment of former justice minister Erik Ninn- Hansen.
Ninn-Hansen, 71, grand old man of the Conservative Party and Schlueter's mentor, is accused of breaking the law by ordering a halt to family reunifications for Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka in 1987.
Prosecutors describe the proceedings, the first in Denmark in 84 years, as an ordinary criminal trial. The defense says it is the last round in a political power game.
Ninn-Hansen denies breaking the law, saying he was carrying out the implied wishes of his own minority center-right cabinet and the opposition Social Democrats.
"More than 100 colleagues have accused me of breaking the law," Ninn-Hansen, a prominent member of parliament for 41 years, said in a bitter attack on the legislature which last year voted to impeach him.
"But I still do not understand what I am being accused of." A final ruling is expected in the second half of the year and he could face a fine or up to two years in jail.
The crux of the case is about the supreme power of parliament and adherence to Lutheran values such as following the rules and always telling the truth.
"Try to look away from refugees and immigration policies. This case is not about Tamils. It is about the law applying to all citizens, even to justice ministers," prosecutor John Petersen said as proceedings started.
Ninn-Hansen says that because he was anticipating tighter legislation on immigration he had asked officials in his ministry to put Tamil cases on "hold" within the boundaries of what he described as woolly immigration laws.
The prosecutors maintain the law gives refugees an unambiguous right to have their families join them.
An influx of Tamils fleeing the civil war in Sri Lanka in 1987 coincided with widespread sentiment in Denmark that immigration in general and family reunifications in particular had to be curtailed.
A parliamentary majority in favor of tougher immigration laws never materialized, and the halt to Tamil reunifications was revealed by the parliamentary ombudsman in 1989.
Ninn-Hansen, H.P. Clausen who succeeded him as justice minister and, finally, Schlueter himself were accused of misleading parliament in attempts to cover up the scandal.
There was a feeling among the opposition that Schlueter-led minority governments, in power since 1982, were developing a habit of arrogantly bypassing parliament.
Economy and tax minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen resigned in November 1992 after opposition parties threatened a no confidence vote against him for switching budgetary funds for technical reasons without properly informing members of parliament.
The Tamil affair came to a head in January 1993 when Supreme Court Justice Mogens Hornslet released the 6,000-page result of a 30-month judicial inquiry, accusing Schlueter of lying to parliament about it.
Schlueter resigned and three small pivotal centrist parties that had been part of his parliamentary platform switched their support to Social Democrat Poul Nyrup Rasmussen who formed a four-party government.
Last June, parliament voted by 105-45 to impeach Ninn-Hansen. Those in favor included members of his own party.
Schlueter and Clausen, who were reprimanded by parliament, will not be impeached.
Ninn-Hansen's defense lawyers say his impeachment, before a panel of 12 Supreme Court judges and 12 lay judges appointed by parliament, is a political vendetta and a way of providing a scapegoat in a case which embarrasses all politicians.
Ninn-Hansen caused a stir last month when he announced that he was shortly undergoing an operation for an unspecified medical condition.
His treatment will force a one-month recess in the proceedings between Easter and May 2.
"Tamilgate" has led to a new atmosphere of confrontation in a country traditionally ruled by minority governments but where consensus-seeking politicians used to get things done in spite of ideological differences.
The new government, trailing badly in opinion polls before a general election due by December, has not achieved its stated ambition of improving government ethics.
Justice Minister Pia Gjellerup and Social Affairs Minister Bente Juncker have been forced to resign and Tax Minister Ole Stavad has been under pressure to do so.
The scandals have involved ministerial negligence, arrogance or lies, but no financial gains for the ministers.
The Danish media report each case in detail but the public appears far from enthralled.
Despite 21 months of parliamentary "Tamilgate" debates followed by the judicial inquiry, many Danes still do not understand what all the fuss is about.