New Elections Would Have Redeemed the Reform Party, Says Expert
Political scientist Rein Toomla has said that the Prime Minister's party did not act intelligently in handling the Ojuland election fraud case, and that a new leadership election would have saved the party from an expected fall in rankings.
“Getting rid of someone is the last resort, barring a criminal act. I am left with the impression that the party did not really care what actually happened,” Toomla told Õhtuleht today.
“A more positive solution would have been to call new elections that would be inspected,” said Toomla, adding that the new elections would have cost the party, but saved its political bacon.
Toomla said that with Ojuland, a Member of the European Parliament, now ejected from her party, only two out of the six Estonian MEPs retain any party affiliations.
Current Estonian MEPs are:
Tunne Kelam, IRL
Kristiina Ojuland, ejected from the Reform Party
Siiri Oviir, resigned from the Center Party in 2012 in protest
Ivari Padar, Social Democrats
Vilja Savisaar-Toomast, resigned from the Center Party in 2012 in protest
Indrek Tarand, independent