In an email sent on March 1 and obtained by Postimees, the party's secretary general Priit Toobal proposed sacking the four city officials, citing the reason as "having not met their obligations to the party."

According to the daily, Savisaar responded within a few minutes saying: “Taking into account the request, and the fact that the people named have problems fulfilling the obligations of their offices, I ask for their letters of resignation by next Monday.”

Toobal said today in a press release that all Center Party members holding positions in the Tallinn municipal government had agreed in 2005 to pay 5 percent of their gross wages to the party. “That is an agreement between the city's leaders that holders of public offices donate more to the party's coffers,” Toobal said, but stressed that no one is losing their position due to not paying party fees.

The four officials named by Postimees are the head of the city's Environment Department Otto Popel, Reena Tolmik, the acting head of the City Center district, head of the Municipal Police Monica Rand and Johannes Merilai, an adviser to a deputy mayor.  

At a meeting of the city government today, the resignation letters from Popel and Rand will be approved, Tallinn's official press service Raepress reported.

As part of the same proposal to the local government, Vello Loki, the head of a department that runs Tallinn's marketplaces, and who was not named in Toobal's email, will have his contract terminated with Rand set to take his place.

In his statement today, Toobal said that Popel resigned of his own accord and Rand asked to be transferred. Tolmik and Merilai will continue in their positions, he said.