Silence ahead of local elections battle

Tuuli Koch
, reporter
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Photo: Peeter Langovits

With suntanned local candidates posing for campaign posters, parties do take their time with finalising the lists.

Of party leaders, a definite «no» to participating at this fall’s local elections has come from Reform Party chairman Andrus Ansip and soc dems’ head  Sven Mikser; Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) leader Urmas Reinsalu runs in Tallinn, and, last week, the Centre Party boss Edgar Savisaar was also posing for posters.

While parliament parties have traditionally made it rather mandatory for their Riigikogu representatives to run at local elections, IRL appears the most hesitant. «World view needs to be upheld. And, with parties with longer histories, the issue of moral conflicts might be somewhat slighter, meaning there is earlier experience about how the votes have been handled,» said the IRL secretary general Tiit Riisalo.

In Reform Party, the freedom of option has been given – in addition to Mr Ansip – also to foreign minister Urmas Paet and to minister of finance Jürgen Ligi. The latter not being overly enthusiastic about running; even so, Mr Ligi is included in the tour to identify the party’s candidate for Mayor of Tallinn.

The seeming summertime quiet is nothing more that preparation for the end of August and the initial week of September; by then, the list ought to be ready and the campaigns kick into gear.

Daily cares in focus

The Centre Party secretary general Priit Toobal has used up the summer, so far, for visiting all regions, meeting the local leaderships, inquiring about preparations for lists, discussing the local topics and their convergence to the overall platform, which is being compiled under the leadership of Riigikogu vice speaker Jüri Ratas.

«In the regions, we have discussed what has been accomplished over the past four years, and, depending if we are in coalitions or opposition, we have discussed options for new promises,» explained Mr Toobal.

The overall party platform centres at the daily concerns of people: transport, medicine prices, pension rises, availability of medical care, issues related to family doctors.

Elections lists are taking shape; even so, as the deadline comes on September 10th only, Mr Toobal says the party intends to make full use of the time provided. It is clear, however, that all Centre Party people in Riigikogu are running.

«It is every party member’s duty to invest in our success; the more so that the deputies who get into councils, will have the opportunity to go sit in the councils as their term in this Riigikogu expires,» thinks Mr Toobal. «Also, we do have people that have left Riigikogu for councils: Aadu Must went to Tartu, Mihhail Stalnuhhin went to Narva; and put current candidate for Mayor of Pärnu, Kadri Simson, will – if the opportunity arises – go to be Mayor of Pärnu, leaving Riigikogu.»

At the moment, all parties are busy taking pictures of candidates, booking ad spaces, drawing up budgets. None is able to specify the costs. Considering former elections, the costs have often depended on how much other parties decide to invest – meaning that, should the need arise – they will always find extra money to trump the others.

Centre Party launches its campaign on September 7th, on the day of their elections conference. On that very day, Reform Party also goes into active mode, in Nokia Concert Hall.

According to Reform Party secretary general Martin Kukk, they have been preparing for the local elections for a year and a half, already. «Our lists are represented in a record number of local governments, this year. Today, we are working towards the goal of having or candidates represented in close to 200 local governments,» said Mr Kukk.

Hopes on celebrities

In addition to compiling lists, the parties are wording their fresh ideas – on the basis of which, is possible, they will be heading the local governments for the next four years. In some regions, the elections programmes are ready; on others, they are getting their final polish.

As acknowledged by the soc dems secretary general, parliament member Indrek Saar, a large part of those running for local governments are on vacations; even so, technical preparations are underway. «We are compiling lists, having strategy meetings, and if we manage to catch candidates in woods and on beaches, we shoot campaign pictures,» said Mr Saar.

Soc dems confirmed the party platform at the beginning of June – so the regions might take their stands thereon and draw up local plans.

All social democrat Riigikogu members have been asked to seriously consider running. «Thinking about Tallinn, for instance... Should we not set up all our Riigikogu members, it would result in many times less council seats, so the goal to terminate the current one-party-rule in Tallinn would be stillborn. Tallinn being such a large local government unit – should the candidates be unknown, state wise, it would be nearly meaningless to run,» admitted Mr Saar, running in Tallinn himself.

Have the Tallinn topics already been dictated by Savisaar– transport, city media, kindergartens? «I do hope there will be a wider and more philosophical discussion; about the essence of local government, and how it ought to be organised, how the decision mechanisms ought to function,» answered Mr Saar. «I would like the discussion to arrive at 21st century; currently, we have lingered at the 1990ies daily-troubles-level.»

IRL secretary general Tiit Riisalo thinks their party is well prepared, as it is. In May, they launched a poll, ending with July, producing close to 30,000 answers. These have been divided up, according to local governments – the strengths and weaknesses, locally. Based on these, and on the party’s foundational values, they will be building local elections platforms.

Elections

•    Registration of candidates starts on August 21st and ends on September 19th.

•    By September 15th, latest, the eligible candidates will be registered by county/town elections committees.

•   The day after registration deadline, on September 16th, the active elections agitation periods starts – with no political outdoor advertising allowed.

•    Advance polls at polling divisions appointed by county elections committees are conducted on October 10th to 13th until 8pm.

•    Electronic elections start on October 10th and last for 24 hours till evening of October 16th.

•    Advance polls at all polling divisions take place from October 14th to 16th, 12 to 20pm, daily. It will be possible to also vote outside the polling division of his/her residence.

•    Local government elections take place on October 20th from 9 am to 8 pm. People may also vote at home.

Source: National Electoral Committee

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