Ojuland, Supporters Declare Intent to Found 'United Estonia' Party
MEP and former Reform Party minister Kristiina Ojuland, flanked by 27 supporters, put pen to the foundation agreement last night for what is expected to be a new party, called United Estonia.
The signing took place last night at the Öko restaurant in Kaberneeme. It is one of two newcomers now confirmed, the other being Andres Herkel's Estonian Free Party.
Economically liberal in view, the party will be centered on the individual, oppose power in the hands of special interests, and fight to lower the tax burden on companies, which Ojuland says is one of Europe's highest, second only to Italy's.
Ojuland told Delfi on Wednesday that they aim to register the new party in March, a step that requires 1,000 signatures.
The party, Ühtne Eesti shares a name with a fictional party created by the alternative theater NO99 in a 2010 performance to skewer the political establishment.
Amendments to the Political Parties Act, which cut the number of signatures needed to found a party to 500, will come into force from April 1, Ojuland said, adding that the difference between them and the Estonian Free Party is speed, as the Free Party has set a September deadline for registration.
A website at www.luud.ee has been set up to collect opinions on ideas and where visitors can propose a name for the new party.
She said that the starting point is to turn Estonia into a country where Estonians want to live and work, and they hope to begin at the 2015 Parliamentary elections.