Finnish PM withdraws gov't resignation following secession of 20 populist party members

HELSINKI, June 13 (Xinhua) -- Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila cancelled the planned resignation of his cabinet after 20 members of the True Finns parliamentary group on Tuesday seceded.

The secessionists included all the True Finns ministers of the government, as well as the Speaker of Parliament Maria Lohela.

The newly formed group pledged to support the current government.

Sipila was on his way to Naantali, western Finland to meet Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, but he turned back to Helsinki upon the decision of the large defection from the Finns Party.