EKRE will not further contest March 5 Riigikogu election result
The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) has said it is not going to contest further the result of the March 5 Riigikogu election, though it will certainly return to the matter of the e-vote – the aspect of the election EKRE has most issue with – once the XV Riigikogu has convened.
Oliver Kask, chair of the National Electoral Committee (VVK) said: "The VVK signed the nationwide voting results protocol," following a meeting of the organization which took place Thursday evening.
"This determined the members and of parliament and their alternates, decided to repay bail to political parties and individual candidates or to keep them in the revenue of the state. On our side, everything is with the election results," said
The possibility remains, in theory at least, of challenging the results, even as the Supreme Court has dismissed all electoral complaints.
The pro-Kremlin United Left Party (EÜVP) has pledged to talk to its lawyers over the matter – the party and its main candidate, Aivo Peterson, performed strongly in Ida Viru-County though did not win a seat.
Meanwhile EKRE chair Martin Helme said that his party will lay contesting the results to rest now, adding EKRE will revisit the e-voting matter in the XV Riigikogu and with a view to amending legislation.
"This is a task which, now, should be carried out in parliament. We would then be able to see how the proposals from one of the opposition parties, to make the Estonian electoral system more reliable and transparent, can take flight," he added.
The XV Riiigikgou is likely to convene for the first time on Monday, April 10, at 2 p.m.
The Reform Party, Eesti 200 and the Social Democrats (SDE) aim to get their under-negotiation coalition deal signed by or on that day also, meaning one of the first things parliament will do is vote on whether the coalition enters office.
Actually convening the Riigikogu is a task for the head of state, Alar Karis.
The VVK formalized the election results at a meeting Thursday evening; those who have won a Riigikogu seat can relinquish it if they wish, but must do so by the end of next Tuesday.
Oliver Kask added that the new Riigikogu will in any case need to debate amending and clarifying the Riigikogu Election Act, given the complaints and issues raised, in relation to e-voting in particular.
"In any case, there was no obstacle from jurisprudence or election complaints to convene a new parliament and start working," Kask said.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Barbara Oja
Source: 'Aktuaalne kaamera'
