Party groups in Estonian parlt preparing for board election

Photo: Arno Saar / Õhtuleht

Party groups in the Estonian parliament will this week start discussing whom to back at the March 21 election of the parliament's board.

The Reform Party will nominate for deputy speaker the incumbent Laine Randjarv, chairman of the group Jaanus Tamkivi confirmed. "She's the one we support," he stated.

The other deputy speaker, Jüri Ratas from the Center Party, has earlier told the press that the party group will probably put forward his name this year as well.

Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) lawmakers are as yet undecided about their candidate. "As of now the IRL faction has not discussed this question, we'll do it in the beginning week," said the head of the group, Kaia Iva.

The Social Democrats will leave the deliberations till next week. "The SDE group has as a rule discussed the question of the Riigikogu speaker and deputy speaker in the week of election. This time around, too, it will be on the agenda of the week in which the election of the parliamentary board will be held. It's not worthwhile to rush ahead of events," the party's secretary general Indrek Saar told BNS.

Members of the association of Democrats, a nonaffiliated group of Center Party defectors, may tip the balance in this year's board elections. The group's leader Rainer Vakra told BNS that the Democrats have not held a separate discussion of the election and candidates.

"As of today not a single name for the position of deputy speaker and speaker has been put forward by any party. Our first goal is to draft together with the Social Democrats proposals and a concrete plan of action in the Riigikogu that would be a serious alternative to the policies pursued by the government these days," Vakra said.

There are bound to be members of parliament who do not wish to support the Center Party, its biased policies, and thereby high-ranking Centrist politicians Yana Toom, Priit Toobal and Edgar Savisaar, he said.

The Riigikogu is currently chaired by Ene Ergma from IRL with Randjarv and Ratas as deputy speakers.