SWEDEN: Relatives of Swedes who died in the tsunami lit candles and wept at a memorial yesterday while prime minister Goran Persson deflected criticism of his handling of the crisis, which could impact on 2006 elections.
Snow fell in Stockholm where a series of events and rows of candles in a central park commemorated the deaths of Swedes on Thailand's holiday beaches in the giant wave a year ago.
Sweden, which lost 543 people, was the country outside Asia which suffered the most in the tsunami, closely followed by Germany. They were among the foreign tourists included in the 230,000 people around the Indian Ocean who died.
"The unthinkable happened and nothing can undo it," said Martin Jamtlid, leading a minute's silence in front of hundreds of relatives and others at a memorial ceremony in the capital. King Carl XVI Gustaf and his family also attended.
"The year that has gone by has been the longest in my life - at the same time it all seems like yesterday," added Mr Jamtlid, who lost nine family members, his voice shaking with grief.
Ceremonies were also held in the western city of Gothenburg and the southern town of Malmö.
The political repercussions from the tsunami have been gaining momentum in Sweden all year as Mr Persson and his government were accused of being too slow to realise that thousands of Swedes were caught up in the disaster, leading to delays in sending out aid.
Mr Persson and foreign minister Laila Freivalds were strongly criticised in a recent official report and Ms Freivalds chose to stay away from the Stockholm memorial ceremony.
Mr Persson, in power since 1996, is hoping to be re-elected next September, but political experts say the tsunami criticism, twinned with a strong challenge from a newly united centre-right bloc, could hurt his chances.
Two opinion polls after the tsunami report have given the centre-right a lead over Mr Persson and his parliamentary allies. However, Mr Persson said in interviews that he would stay on to make sure the faults which led to delays would be solved.