The post-victory power struggles

Tuuli Koch
, reporter
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Photo: Raigo Pajula

In numerous local governments, seemingly small and insignificant discords have, over these past four years, split long-term coalitions.

Right after the election day of October 21st, governing coalitions begin to be forged all across Estonia – in hopes of sticking together «in good times and bad, till next elections do us part». Glancing back at the last four years of local governing, one cannot but notice: in many places both bigger and smaller, power has changed hands. In some cases, it only took five months. Elsewhere, the tensions have begun to build as new elections started looming.

At times, the reasons have been empty, artificial, emotional. Divorces have occurred over school headmasters. Even Rakvere, up until recently the showcase of political innocence and (seeming) purity – a place without the sadly familiar voicing of vote riggings, criminal cases and court filings – faced its manoeuvres day.

The most turbulent, on all counts, is definitely Paldiski. Long before the 2009 elections, the seaside town teeming with business interests filled up with attempts to buy votes with apartments, TV-sets and plain old money. To top it all up, two guys got the hands cuffed for alleged attempts to purchase votes.

Taking turns at throne, as mayor

Dead tired of the scandals, the locals still actively show up at ballot boxes. In the mainly Russian-speaking town, lines formed at election time. Even so, this was mere prelude what was to follow – police-soap-opera style.

To begin with, in 2009, Paldiski’s unofficial «king» Jaan Mölder continued as mayor; soon, he was voted down to be replaced by opponent Mare Leiten. After two days in office, the latter was forced by court to hand the chair back. Opposition persisted and, on December 23rd, Mr Mölder handed the town keys back to Ms Leiten.

On the same day, Christmas knocking at the door, Ms Leiten initiated disciplinary proceedings against Kuldar Salumets, city secretary since 2008. Without an hour to prove himself under the new leadership, the man was accused in loss of confidence.

The proceedings took a month; in January 2010, Mr Salumets was sacked. He sued the decision and the court found that, as guilt was unsubstantiated and all documents faulty, Mr Salumets was to be restored to his post and a year’s worth of unreceived wages recompensed. All in all, that amounted to over €19,000, at the moment.

Mayor watered

Following the court decision, Mr Salumets went to work, 8:30 am. In less than half an hour, he was approached by Kaupo Kallas (Centre Party), the third mayor in a row. Handing him papers on a new disciplinary proceedings. This time, he was accused in committing an indecent act. 

The indecent act being that while Mr Salumets was removed from his post, as lawyer he represented people in their disputes with Paldiski town powers. Again, the proceedings took a month; within the first days of 2011, the city secretary was fired again. Generously, the town made an offer: should the secretary opt not to have recourse to courts, he would be paid €2,000 as reprisals. Mr Salumets not agreeing, it was back to the courts again.

In 2011, the power struggle took a more bizarre twist as a glass of water was splashed into the face of Mr Kallas, by Jaan Mölder Jr. Later, the man apologised and let it be known that «even though the incident was provoked by impolite remarks by Mr Kallas towards my father, going as far as to vowing to eliminate him, I still consider my behaviour extremely incorrect and inappropriate».

Since February this year, soc dem Stanislav Tšerepanov sits as mayor of Paldiski. The fourth, counting them up. 

Even this shift was accompanied by a peculiar twist: Andrei Martõnjak, a party pal of Mr Tšerepanov’s, a former mayor of Paldiski and now a council member, is publishing, in tandem with Mr Mölder, a newspaper named Paldiski Elu (Life in Paldiski). The newspaper undertook to sharply criticise the city government lead by Mr Tšerepanov. Therefore, he was expelled from the Social Democrat ranks. In the upcoming elections, Mr Martõnjak already stands as No 1 of election coalition Sõltumatu Valimisliit (Independent Election Coalition).

While, in 2009, four political parties and seven election coalitions competed for Paldiski, the real battle raged between the two giants: the then mayor Jaan Mölder and Aleksei Tšulets, head of Paldiski Northern Port. The latter being the one who promised that, should his team take the victory i.e. seven seats at the council, he would draw lots amongst townsfolk who gets a 2-room apartment. 

This time, three parties are in for it (Reform Party, Centre Party and Social Democrats), plus five election coalitions.

Election coalition Põhjasadam (North Port) lead by Mr Tšulets has listed a whopping near-50 candidates, the competitors limiting themselves to 10-15. And again, close to 200 new voters have been imported to Paldiski – probably, these are Tallinners commuting to work in Paldiski, for instance; these will be able to vote their allegiance to their employers.

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Examples of cancelled cooperation, from nine local governments

State coalition in local brawl

In Saue town, Harju County, things got tough between Reform Party and IRL, last spring.

In hindsight, it is difficult to determine if the last straw was somebody liking sports too much (the IRL council head desiring to build a €700,000 sports hall even though the coalition’s priority was completing a basic school building) or they just couldn’t take each other anymore. Anyway, Reform was thrown out, IRL securing a new government with a formerly opposing «Kindlad tegijad – uus tulevik».

Power altered by school chief

In Jõgeva, at the end of last year, school reform got so stormy as to fell the Reform-IRL city government. In reality, things were simmering since 2012 budget talks; electing a school headmaster proved the boiling point.

As admitted by Taisto Liivandi, winner of Jõgeva basic school headmaster competition, he run for political reasons – so as to deprive neighbour, a Reform party guy, from the job. «It cannot be that one party holds all posts!» he announced.

In mid-December 2012, a new coalition was signed off by IRL, Centre Party and People’s Union (Rahvaliit).

Raidal’s sufferings

Seven months after elections, in May 2010, no confidence was expressed by ten Otepää, Valga County commune council members towards chairman of council, deputy chairman of council, commune mayor, three permanent council committee members, one commission deputy head and two commune government members.

Among other reasons, council chairman Jaanus Raidal was suspected by police of having participated in voting over benefits awarded to himself. Power changed hands; in March this year, Mr Raidal announced that commune government lead by Merlin Müür had banned articles by opponents in the local newspaper Otepää Teataja, glaringly contradicting freedom of speech, foundations of democracy and constitution.

Jettison the buddies

After many a politically quiet year, spring of 2011 brought slight turbulence to Tartu. The six-years-ling Reform Party-Centre Party-People’s Union coalitions was bursting at the seams.

In broad daylight, mayor Urmas Kruuse tried to uphold existing coalition; at night, he was discussing other options with IRL.

Old partners got at loggerheads after 2011 parliamentary elections which freed up two deputy mayor seats. Firstly: Reform succeeded not in elimination one of the said posts. Secondly, they did not like the candidate set up by Centre Party, to rule social affairs.

Town power for five months

Five months after October 2008, the government fell in Võru: Reform Party got back to power, handing seats of mayor and county governor seats back to IRL. For a longer time, Võru has been in Reform Party hands. After elections, IRL, Centre Party, People’s Union and soc dems had formed a coalition, leaving Reform alone in opposition.

In the awkward new situations, swift manoeuvres followed: the soc dem mayor Anneli Ott was expressed no confidence. Being dethroned, she joined Centre party and headed to Tallinn, working as deputy for Nõmme district head – for a while.

Enter rescuer Max Kaur

Over the past decade, power has changed a lot at Mustvee, the town of 1,300 inhabitants at Lake Peipsi. This April, the non-party-Mayor Pavel Kostromin was exchanged for Max Kaur of Centre Party.

Mr Kaur had attempted at the Mustvee mayor chair in January 2012, with no success. The man launched his career by scattering school leadership and former mayor’s coterie, allegedly throwing drinking parties at the school. Currently, Mr Kostromin sits as Lohusuu community elder.

Who’s to blame?

This February, Paide city council sacked council chairman Kersti Sarapuu (Centre Party) and replaced her with Tarmo Alt (Reform), putting an end to seven years of IRL-Centre Party cooperation in Paide and leading to a IRL-Reform coalition.

Praised and sacked

Jaan Alver, elder of In Keila commune, Harju County, was expressed no confidence by county council, while thanking him for excellent input. Coalition crumbled.

Kalev Laast (IRL since this summer) emerged as new community elder; formerly, he was member of Estonian Conservative People’s Party.

The new coalition noted that the former no-confidence-elder had done a really good job, awarding him with compensation to the tune of one month’s salary.

Parties take over

At the beginning of last year, IRL and Reform proclaimed coalition in Türi, Järva County. The current partner, election coalition Türi Sotsiaaldemokraatlik Valik was forced into opposition.

The list is not exhaustive; in addition to the above, power has changed hands in smaller local governments like Mikitamäe and Meremäe communes, Võru County.

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