Estonia's Praxis to work out People's Assembly proposals by end of February

Photo: Andres Haabu

The Estonian Praxis political studies center will work out the proposals that have been filed to the crowdsourcing democracy initiative Rahvakogu (People's Assembly) by the end of February, when experts will start working with them.

"Praxis will systematize and bring together proposals that have arrived on the same theme, works them out concerning their contents, and will draw up written summaries," Annika Uudelepp, board chairwoman of Praxis, told BNS. "We are not giving assessments but drawing up analytically correct systematization, synthesis and drawing up summaries," she said.

The result will be written summaries on two levels. In every five themes there will be one general summary and in each main theme there will be a certain number of subthemes as a result of systematization, concerning which Praxis will also draw up summaries. "Reading them will give a compact and practical overview about the proposals made within every main theme - whether dominating proposals were formed, and what the variation of  proposals made on similar subthemes," Uudelepp said.

As an example of one of the main themes Uudelepp quoted parties financing, one of the subthemes of which is restriction of parties' expenditures on campaigns. "The summary of the subtheme will show what proposals were made for the limitation of campaign expenditures, what the dominating proposal was and how much the proposals on the limitation of campaign expenditures actually differed," Uudelepp said.

In the parties financing there were a total of five subthemes, concerning which similar summaries will be drawn up. Besides, an overall summary concerning  the parties' financing issues will be completed, generalized and all the subthemes summed up.

The experts, whose work is supervised by Ulle Madise, the president's legal adviser, will add their assessments to the written proposals concerning what implementation of the proposals will bring. The written summaries drawn up by Praxis will be the direct input to the work of the experts and the experts' work will take place at the end of February ands at the beginning of March.

On the five subthemes there will be a seminar with the participation of the persons who filed their proposals, experts, politicians and interested parties where the possible solutions will be considered. The input will be analytical summaries along with expert assessments. "The aim of the seminars is to think out the main versions of the proposals and to offer on the basis of that input different principle versions which will be considered on the day of popular discussion and the best solution will be offered," Uudelepp.

In April there will be a day of discussion of 500 accidentally chosen persons the preparation of which will be coordinated by Urmo Kubar, head of the Network of Estonian Nonprofit Organizations.