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Instagram poll embarrasses new Finnish minister

Just days after Finland's new women-led government came to power- finance minister Katri Kulmuni has faced an embarrassing gaffe.

The 32-year-old asked her Instagran followers to vote on a informal poll on whether the government should allow Finnish women with links to Islamic State to return from Syria, or just their children.

The poll asked her Instagram followers whether they backed repatriating "children only" or "children and mothers" from the al-Hol camp in a part of Syria held by Kurds.

Her Centre Party opposes letting the mothers return to Finland.

Human Rights Watch criticised the move on Twitter - saying life-and-death decisions should not be put to a public referendum on social media.

Kulmuni tweeted on Friday--

''My aim to have a discussion on social media about a complicated topic failed. I apologize for the poll," "My IG (Instagram) poll aroused condemnation, it has been removed. The style was unsuccessful."

The criticism of the poll was all the more embarrassing as the new prime minister, Sanna Marin, said on Wednesday she would not alter her social media behavior but would be careful in what she posted.