Riina Solman still undecided on Isamaa Tallinn mayoral bid
Solman, who was population affairs minister in the previous administration, told ERR Friday that she was: "Considering [running for Tallinn mayor]. This is not one hundred percent. If there are still some great [Isamaa] candidates, I won't be canceling the summer vacation, since the last two years have been such a busy time that there has been no time left for family and personal life."
While her support within Isamaa, a party currently facing a leadership battle between incumbent Helir-Valdor Seeder and challenger, former prosecutor general Lavly Perling, is broad based, Solman said, she has not made her final decision, while the candidate is likely to be announced after this weekend's Isamaa general assembly, and certainly in June, she added.
Isamaa joins Center and Eesti 200 in not having officially nominated a Tallinn mayoral candidate for the October local election yet.
Center currently holds the post, via Mihhail Kõlvart.
She has been nominated by the party's women's council, and religious and family groups.
Of the remaining major parties, Kristen Michal is Reform's candidate, Raimond Kaljulaid is running for the Social Democrats (SDE) and either current Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) leader and Riigikogu deputy speaker, Martin Helme, or the former leader and former interior minister Mart Helme will run in Tallinn. Züleyxa Izmailova is the Green Party candidate.
Helir-Valdor Seeder said that while in the provinces, candidates are a matter primarily for the regional party chapter, when it comes to the capital the candidate should be chosen in conjunction with the central party hierarchy, though with the Tallinn branch having the final say.
Mihhail Kõlvart, who became mayor in 2019, after Taavi Aas moved to the ministry of economic affairs, has indicated that he intends to run for a second term, where possible, while party spokesperson Andres Kalvkk said the candidate would likely be announced in August.
Eesti 200 leader Kristina Kallas said her party's candidate would be unveiled within the next few weeks.
Election day is October 17, preceded by a week's advance voting where e-votes can be cast and re-cast. All residents of Estonia are eligible to vote in the constituency in which they live.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte