Estonian parliament's opposition turning to top court

The opposition in the Riigikogu has decided to challenge the behavior of coalition MPs in parliament at the beginning of this week in the Supreme Court. (From left) Tanel Kiik, Martin Helme and Helir Valdor Seeder. Photo: Mihkel Maripuu

The opposition in the Riigikogu has decided to challenge the behavior of coalition MPs in parliament at the beginning of this week in the Supreme Court.

«We will challenge the behavior of coalition politicians and the behavior of the chairs of the sittings, illegal behavior, in the Supreme Court. This is necessary and good for everyone. There will be more clarity on the procedural issues, which I hope the Supreme Court will assess,» Helir-Valdor Seeder, chairman of the opposition Isamaa party, said at Wednesday's press conference.

He said the handling of the issue by the top court will not resolve the political standoff, however.

«This political standoff will not go away,» Seeder said.

According to Seeder, what happened in the Riigikogu on Monday and Tuesday is unprecedented in the history of Estonian democracy.

«The governing coalition refuses to engage in substantive discussions with the opposition and violates the Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act to silence MPs, restricting the rights they have under law. Kaja Kallas, as the leader of the coalition, is responsible for such behavior, and she is also violating the principle of the separation of powers by using the president of the Riigikogu, Lauri Hussar, and the vice president, Toomas Kivimagi, as her extended arm,» Seeder said.

Tanel Kiik, the leader of the opposition Center Party group, said Center unequivocally supported challenging the violation of good practices on Monday and Tuesday in the Supreme Court.

«The Center Party has a consensus on this. This kind of violation cannot be tolerated,» Kiik said. «Today's decision to appeal to the Supreme Court was directed against the behavior seen on Monday and Tuesday. This is unacceptable.»

Martin Helme, chairman of the Estonian Conservative People's Party (EKRE), added that what happened at the beginning of the week was as far from the rule of law as one can get.

«It's total arbitrariness and we can't accept it. There's been filibuster before and it has been done for more than one week. The fact that we are not getting to the first reading is not unprecedented -- it is unprecedented how the coalition solved it,» the leader of the largest of the three opposition parties said.