Vakra to Lead SD Party's Tallinn Branch
Rainer Vakra, an ex-Center Party MP who joined the Social Democrats only a month ago, has replaced Andres Anvelt as the head of the party's Tallinn offices after the latter's poor election results in the capital.
"Tallinn's power has notably shifted towards Lasnamäe [district] and the elected officials are playing the Estonian and Russian communities against each other. The city is bigger than Lasnamäe and every district has its own problems. Those who frequent the Nõmme Rahu Church and those who visit the Orthodox church in Lasnamäe must be treated equally,” Vakra said in a press release on Monday.
He said that his aim is to lead the city after the 2017 local elections, adding that current mayor Edgar Savisaar can still keep his job as the head of Lasnamäe district, which Vakra says he essentially is right now.
Vakra ran with the Social Democrats in the October local elections, collecting 4,300 votes, more than any other of the party's candidates in Tallinn. The party managed to increase its share of votes by only 0.09 percent.