Paide mayor creates election list and will run against his own party
Mayor of Paide Priit Värk, a member of the Isamaa party, has created an electoral alliance called Uus Paide ("New Paide") and will run against his party in the upcoming local elections.
Isamaa is in power in three Järva County local municipalities, but Paide mayor Priit Värk, a member of the party's internal faction Parempoolsed, announced on Wednesday that he would not run in the party's list, ETV's daily affairs show "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported.
His electoral alliance Uus Paide promises to bring fresh blood into local politics. "The paths of Isamaa and I have not separated completely yet. I am still a member of the party, but our relationship has frozen. And in that sense, we have developed an electoral alliance called Uus Paide and I will focus on that. I wish Isamaa luck," Värk said.
Many politicians in Paide confirmed that the reason for Värk's new electoral alliance is a disagreement with city council co-chairman and influential Isamaa member Mihhail Feštšin.
"I do not have anything against Priit personally. But if he goes against our party, I cannot have Priit Värk as mayor under the Isamaa flag," Feštšin said.
Türi municipality mayor Pipi-Liis Siemann will also not run in Isamaa's list in the upcoming elections in October. Siemann has created an electoral alliance called Koduvald Türi ("Home municipality Türi") with former social protection minister Kaia Iva running.
"Our people did not see a reason to get tied down with one party, but they do wish to make an active contribution in the organization of our community," Siemann said, adding that she does not think Isamaa will even participate in Türi Municipality.
Järva Deputy Mayor Tiina Oraste, however, said she will run in Isamaa's list of candidates, just as she did four years ago. She added that it is not a simple task to find candidates in rural areas. "But if you have had your own team in previous years, it gives you a lot of support to go ahead together," she added.
Isamaa is not the only party whose members have created electoral lists of their own, the Social Democratic Party has also seen its members developing alliances in Türi municipality and Viljandi.
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Editor: Kristjan Kallaste