Estonian PM advises interior minister to look for more police chief candidates

Photo: Andres Haabu / Postimees

Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip has advised Interior Minister Ken-Marti Vaher to search for more candidates for the post of national police chief besides deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Justice Priit Kama.

"I voiced the opinion on a radio broadcast on Friday that if Kama's candidacy was put forward he would not get the necessary support. It is possible to do explanatory work, but obviously it would be more sensible at this point to conduct an executive search for more candidates," the prime minister said at the governmental press conference in answer to journalists' questions.

The head of the government said on a broadcast of the Vikerraadio station of the public broadcaster ERR on Friday that to the best of his knowledge Kama would not get the parliamentary legal affairs committee's approval at this point but that things could change. Interior Minister Ken-Marti Vaher may prove to the legal affairs committee Kama's suitability for the post of director general of the Police and Border Guard Board and in this case the situation may be different, he said.

Vaher and Defense Minister Urmas Reinsalu, both of whom are members of Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL), partner of the prime minister's Reform Party in the governing coalition, met on Monday with Ansip in a bid to secure his support for Kama's nomination. According to the daily Eesti Paevaleht, the meeting was initiated by the IRL politicians.

Ansip said at the press conference that the question of Kama did not come under discussion at the meeting.

The interior minister has not yet formally nominated Kama for the position of police chief, he said.

The previous director general of the Police and Border Guard Board, Raivo Kuut, left at the end of February. The interior minister appointed his deputy for criminal police, Raigo Haabu, as director general ad interim effective from March 1.