A Hush in the Race for the Presidency
There is an unusual silence as the upcoming presidential election draws near because no one other than incumbent President Toomas Hendrik Ilves seems to want the job.
Political scientist Tõnis Saarts said it would be a shame if it comes down to a single-candidate election. "We need a debate. We live in a democratic country, where it is normal to discuss how various institutions have performed, and to give their activities a critical analysis," Saarts told uudised.err.ee.
Society need not only evaluate the president's performance, Saarts said, but also the role and responsibilities of the presidency in a parliamentary government. "The president's role is much more significant than the parliamentary Constitution had ever intended, which makes it quite desirable," he said.
So far, Parliament's most powerful party, the Reform Party, as well as Ilves's former party, the Social Democratic Party, have firmly backed the incumbent. But the Reform's coalition partner, IRL, will not drop a decision for support until May 21, when Ilves makes his case to the party's board. With two parties already supporting Ilves, Saarts said it will be difficult for IRL to find an alternate candidate.
The remaining party in Parliament, the Centre Party, has not yet taken a stance, but was fiercely against Ilves in the previous elections in 2006.
A candidate must win two-thirds of the 101 votes in Parliament. Estonia's presidential elections take place August 29.
Ott Tammik