Postimees Digest, Tuesday, March 12

Photo: Liis Treimann

IRL abandons Kama's candidacy

 Pro Patria Res Publica Union's (IRL) internal minister Ken-Marti Vaher has decided to drop the candidacy of Priit Kama for the position of head of the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) due to resistance from both coalition partner the Reform Party and the opposition. Vaher said that he will no longer promote Kama's candidacy after yesterday's coalition meeting.

The minister said that Kama would have been a good choice, that he was a strong leader and a recognized public servant, but that unfortunately there is no support for him as his candidacy has been interpreted as being politically motivated. "The field of internal security must be above politics and the PPA needs a head who has sufficient support with which to develop the agency and make necessary changes," Vaher said. The internal ministry will continue looking for a suitable candidate directly.

Paet: border treaty additional provision is one of the options on the table.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet said that professor Lauri Mälksoo's proposal to include an additional provision in the Estonia-Russia border treaty, according to which the treaty would deal exclusively with the parameters of the border, is one of the options on the table and that it is too early to say whether it would result in the treaty being signed. The minister added that the fact that Mälksoo disclosed the option does not automatically mean it is the most probable alternative. In addition it remains unclear how Russia would react to such a proposal. Paet refuted doubts that an additional provision would result in a comprehensibly altered treaty.

"We plan to complement the text of the treaty, not take items out of it," the minister said. Professor of international law at the University of Tartu Lauri Mälksoo told ETV news program "Aktuaalne Kaamera" on Sunday that Estonia should consider complementing the border treaty with an additional provision stating that the treaty deals exclusively with matters tied to the border and has no effect on the subject matter of national continuity. "Even with this new border treaty it is my position that article 2 of the Treaty of Tartu would remain in effect in Estonia-Russia relations and that in truth it cannot be separated from it," Mälksoo said.

GDP exceeds boom time level.

Estonia's GDP amounted to 17 billion euros last year exceeding the boom time record of 16.2 billion in absolute value. In relation to inflation, GDP remains a little lower than its 2007-2008 counterpart but has been achieved based on more solid financial activities as boom time growth relied primarily on loan money. Prosperity of citizens has not managed to keep up with formal indicators however as analysts estimate that domestic consumption remains 15 percent below the boom time ceiling.

Ligi: Latvia would do well to join the euro as soon as possible.

Minister of Finance Jürgen Ligi told a few dozen Latvian journalists yesterday that joining the Eurozone is Latvia's best and basically only option. "Having one's own currency is a needless luxury for small open economies as active monetary policy is decided by the big fish and because investors tend to distrust currencies they know little about. The minister also said that Latvia's success in meeting euro adoption criteria deserves commendation, but that the reforms were needed with or without the euro. Latvia has put forth an official application to adopt the euro and hopes to join the Eurozone early next year.

Police raids office of novice businessman known for fancy cars

Last week, Central Criminal Police searched the Tallinn city centre office of Henry Kallas (24), a young entrepreneur known for his vainglorious lifestyle. The search, taking place in one of the Tornimäe twin towers, was, according to Public Prosecutor’s Office, prompted by an international plea for legal assistance from Finland.

1.5 months old Narva baby dies of neglect

A month ago, on February 13^th, a granny found her youngest grandchild – a little baby girl 1.5 months of age – dead in her children’s apartment in Narva. Initial data reveal the baby had been dead for days. How long exactly, will be revealed by expert assessment in a few weeks time.

With assessment, light will also be shed on the cause of death. External evidence of violence was not found on the baby’s body. However, according to neighbours, the child’s parents Marina (31) and Aleksandr (33) had been partying in the apartment for a longer period of time. Neighbours saw the baby last on February 10^th, at night.