Kovalenko still undecided on taking up Riigikogu seat
Tallinn city council member Anastassia Kovalenko (Center) told ERR on Thursday that she has not decided if she will take up the Riigikogu seat left open by recently elected Tallinn city council chair Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE).
Ossinovski told ERR on Wednesday that it would not be optimal if Kovalenko joined the Riigikogu, effectively taking away a vote from the Social Democrats. He noted that the seat should go to a Social Democrat.
"I have not decided yet," Kovalenko told ERR on Thursday about the decision to take up Ossinovski's seat in parliament.
Ossinovski was elected as Tallinn city council chairman last week, leaving the Riigikogu to take up the position as the first Social Democrat since 1934.
The first two potential replacements for the former minister - Monika Haukanõmm and Rene Tammist - have already announced they would not join the Riigikogu with the replacement queue now reaching Anastassia Kovalenko, who ran as a member of the Social Democratic Party in 2019, but left the party last year, claiming the party had changed its values.
If Kovalenko were to refuse the Riigikogu seat, the offer would go to teacher and Social Democratic Party member Toomas Jürgenstein.
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Editor: Kristjan Kallaste
