The nomination of candidates for registration for the first round of the vote on the new president of Estonia in the Riigikogu started at 9 a.m. on Thursday and the first candidate to be nominated was Mailis Reps, the Center Party's candidate who got the signatures of the party's whole parliamentary group.
Center Party parlt group nominates Reps as presidential candidate
«Today 27 members of the parliament nominated Mailis Reps as candidate in the first round of the vote on the new president of Estonia which is to take place on Monday, August 29 at 1 p.m.,» spokesperson for the National Electoral Committee said.
Reps was nominated by all 27 members of the Center Party's parliamentary group: Dmitri Dmitrijev, Enn Eesmaa, Peeter Ernits, Olga Ivanova, Jaanus Karilaid, Mihhail Korb, Valeri Korb, Siret Kotka, Heimar Lenk, Oudekki Loone, Aadu Must, Andrei Novikov, Anneli Ott, Juri Ratas, Rein Ratas, Martin Repinski, Mailis Reps, Kersti Sarapuu, Erki Savisaar, Kadri Simson, Mihhail Stalnuhhin, Mart Sults, Tarmo Tamm, Marika Tuus-Laul, Viktor Vassiljev, Vladimir Velman and Toomas Vitsut.
Reps was born on Jan. 13, 1975, is an Estonian citizen by birth and has consented to run for president.
The right to nominate a candidate rests with no less than one-fifth of the membership of the Riigikogu, or 21 MPs, and a member of the Riigikogu may nominate only one candidate.
In addition to the name and surname of the candidate, the time of birth of the candidate and the names and signatures of the nominators, the nominators must provide a dated and signed autographic consent of the candidate to run as a candidate for president and confirmation that he or she meets the requirements provided by law for a candidate for president, a dated and signed autographic oath of the candidate or a statement from the administrative agency which received a prior oath indicating to whom, in what context and when the candidate took the oath, and documents which certify that the candidate is an Estonian citizen by birth.
The Electoral Committee will gather at 3 p.m. on Sunday to register the candidates.
The first round of voting on the president in the Riigikogu will start at 1 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 29.