1978 Finnish presidential election
They were the first elections since 1968, as Parliament had extended Urho Kekkonen's term by four years.[2] The electors, in turn assembled in Helsinki on 15 February to formally elect the President.Kekkonen's opponents, such as the Christian League's presidential candidate Raino Westerholm, claimed that Kekkonen's long presidency weakened the Finnish democracy.Over one-third of the Finnish voters abstained from voting, partly as a protest against Kekkonen's expected landslide victory.The 77-year-old Kekkonen's health was already declining, although this was not easily noticeable in his public appearances.