Aaviksoo: Now that the mess is behind, it's time to look to the future
Jaak Aaviksoo, named as the new rector of Tallinn University of Technology on Thursday, after a 2-month scandal-filled election process, said it is time to look towards the future, rather than stop and contemplate what went wrong in the elections.
In an interview with ETV, Aaviksoo said he did have thoughts on pulling out of the election, despite receiving enough votes in the first phase of the election process. “I had given my supporters my promise that I would not resign as long as I received backing, and I am happy that the support grew,” he said.
He said he is happy that Mart Ustav, who was his main rival for the job, was among the first to congratulate him.
Commenting on the reasons why the process took such a route, Aaviksoo said laws on electing a rector in TUT are not as clear as they can be, and perhaps a few opponents were not ready for the reforms he promised.
“The University of Technology is a strong institution which can be made even better. I think this is key now,” he said.
Aaviksoo, who has been a government minister on several occasions, was elected on May 22, but two months of infighting followed. The board which voted for him was restructured and a second vote, on July 30, also backed Aaviksoo.
Editor: J.M. Laats