Kersna: If Kallas can get requisite 38 votes, Reform votes will follow
MP Liina Kersna (Reform) admitted that supporting Siim Kallas' candidacy is not easy for her and that Kallas can only hope for his own party's votes if and when he manages to get 38 votes from other parties together first.
"Supporting Siim Kallas is not easy for me, but he has been given an opportunity to collect 38 essential votes for himself in the Riigikogu, and if he manages to get them, then I am pretty sure that the Reform Party Parliamentary Group's 30 votes will follow," Kersna wrote on social media.
If his own party's votes are not guaranteed, presidential candidate and party honorary chairman Siim Kallas will have to prove himself to his party's parliamentary group that he can muster up 38 votes from the other five current parliamentary parties — the Center Party, the Free Party, the Social Democratic Party (SDE), th Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (IRL) as well as the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE).
In order to be elected by the Riigikogu, a candidate must receive the votes of at least 68 of the Riigikogu's 101 members.
While Marina Kaljurand was not once specifically mentioned when the Reform Party's Board of Directors announced their decision regarding choosing honorary chairman Siim Kallas as the party's official candidate, party chairman Taavi Rõivas hinted at the possibility that if the Riigikogu proved unable to elect Estonia's next president, the Reform Party may choose to support Kaljurand in the electoral college instead.
MP Kersna, like Kaljurand herself in yesterday's interviews, spoke of the opportunity in more explicit terms. "Now it is [Kallas'] turn to prove himself," said Kersna. "If not, then we will support Marina in the electoral college."
Center Party Secretary General stated on Thursday that while he may meet and discuss matters with other parliamentary parties, Kallas did not have his own party's support and likewise had nothing to offer in exchange for votes in his favor from other parties.
"Kallas is missing his own party's support, and he doesn't have anything to offer in exchange for asking for support," said Loone. "Moreover, all the parliamentary parties already have their own candidates because the Reform Party dragged their feet on the issue for so long. Sad state of affairs for the old man."
Editor: Editor: AIli Sarapik