On October 25, ERR News wrote that the Social Democratic Party, Reform Party and electoral alliances Restart Kohtla-Järve and Progress reached a coalition agreement and were set to form a city government without Center for the first time in 25 years.

Still, the four-party coalition did not come to fruition as the coalition's line-up vote failed, ETV's daily affairs show "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported on Monday. Instead, a coalition consisting of Center, Reform and electoral alliance Progress will be formed.

As of the coalition agreement, Social Democrat Eduard Odinets was set to take up the position of city council chairman, but he only received nine votes. Center candidate Tiit Lillemets received 16 votes and remained in the chairman seat.

Center also received the seat of deputy chairman and a representative of electoral alliance Progress was chosen as the second deputy chairman.

Center Party does not know how this happened. "I cannot say. Voting is secret and everyone votes based on their opinion and experience," Tiit Lillemets said.

Eduard Odinets had an explanation of his own: "Likely, as it tends to happen in these situations, someone has been promised something better. Perhaps some other reform in the city, changes that could not be set up with Social Democrats and [electoral alliance] Restart Kohtla-Järve," Odinets said.

Instead of the former three parties, five made it to the local government council. Center Party, which has been in power since the mid-1990s received 12 seats in the 25-member council, down from 18 the previous election cycle.

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