Pro-euro Niinistoe leads in presidential vote count

(HELSINKI) - Pro-European conservative candidate Sauli Niinistoe had 40 percent of the vote in Finland's presidential election Sunday with a third of the vote counted, a ministry statement said.

Niinisto led the first round of votes after a count of 1.38 million votes cast in advance of Sunday's vote, with Centre Party eurosceptic Paavo Vaeyrynen on 17.8 percent and Green candidate Pekka Haavisto with 14.7 percent.

Anti-euro nationalist Timo Soini so far had 9.5 percent, according to justice ministry figures.

If the results are confirmed, Niinistoe will face off against Veyrynen on February 5 for a second round run-off.

Niinistoe has staunchly defended Finland's EU and eurozone membership in a campaign peppered by heated debate over the eurozone debt crisis. Vaeyrynen on the other hand, has proposed that Finland exit the euro.

The winner will succeed popular outgoing president Tarja Halonen, who is completing her second term.