Last night, Centre Party's Rapla County region elected «Camp Change» Mailis Reps as chairman with just one vote against. Originally planning to run as her rival, Erki Savisaar* bowed out at eleventh hour leaving Ms Reps the only lonely candidate.
The duel that never happened
31st March 2016, 14:32
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Somewhat surprisingly, the fiery in-party duel about which camp gets to chair Centre’s Rapla Region never happened. During the day, already, the grapevine was saying that Mr Savisaar might opt out.
At 6 pm, immediately before the regional conference was to start, Mr Reps said she just learned five minutes ago she would be running alone. «From headquarters, the boys let it be known that an opposing candidate will not be set up,» she noted.
Surprised
Ms Reps said she was surprised, having prepared for the worst.
She said that judging by the earlier countenances of people at the headquarters, she was left with the impression that an opponent was in the pipeline. But evidently the plan failed at the last moment.
She suggested that perhaps Mr Savisaar decided to stand tall. «He may have been seeking ways of burying the battle ax,» suggested Ms Reps.
«That would be very much like him, he’s by nature just like that.»
Congrats
Showing up at half way into the event, Mr Savisaar said that truly it was his last minute decision not to run.
He said he was originally intending to do so as advised heartily to do so. He said he would better not tell us by whom as «otherwise they may be persecuted».
So he just came to congratulate the new leader.
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* Erki Savisaar is son of Edgar Savisaar, Centre Party chairman – edit