Rejection of Ansip’s Resignation Would Have Caused Panic, Ilves Says
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves said today that he fails to understand the logic of coalition party IRL, which suggested that Ansip should postpone the resignation of the government until the crisis in Ukraine has stabilized.
The government will retain their authority until a new cabinet has been assembled and approved, Ilves stressed at the press conference held after he accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, uudised.err.ee reported today.
Ansip, for his part, expressed surprise that he has become irreplaceable after nine years in office.
The president has 14 days to pick a PM candidate for forming a new government and his proposed cabinet will need the vote of confidence of the Parliament. Once the Parliament has given its approval, the PM candidate will have a week to present his prospective government to the head of state who will then have three days to confirm the government.
The mandate of the old government will end when the new government takes an oath in front of Parliament.