Eduard Odinets resigns as Social Democrats' secretary general
Eduard Odinets has resigned as secretary general of the Social Democratic Party (SDE). Who will be replacing him is expected to be determined Tuesday night.
"I've achieved the goals I set for myself, and I believe I've achieved them very well, and I want to focus on other challenges," Odinets told ERR on Tuesday.
Asked what these other challenges are, Odinets referred to his activity in Ida-Viru County and on Kohtla-Järve City Council, of which he was elected chair in mid-February. "Maybe, if things go well, I may also end up an MP," he added. "So there are plenty of challenges."
Odinets declined to reveal who would be named the SDE's new secretary general, but noted that the party's board was scheduled to convene Tuesday night to decide the matter, adding that the right to publicly announce who would be replacing him belonged to party chair Lauri Läänemets.
"But I think too much attention has been devoted to me," he continued. "This position doesn't need that much attention, as the secretary general does the technical work and manages the party's operations."
Last February, Läänemets was elected the new chair of the SDE by the party's general assembly. Odinets, who was Läänemets' candidate for secretary general, was likewise confirmed to the position by the general assembly, replacing Rannar Vassiljev.
As of December 30, 2020, Odinets was the alternate for Katri Raik — who herself was elected mayor of Narva in December 2021 — in the XIV Riigikogu.
Odinets ran for election to the Riigikogu in Electoral District 7 (Ida-Viru County) this spring. With just 630 votes, he failed to be elected, but is listed second overall on the SDE's nationwide list of alternate members, meaning he has a chance of taking up a seat in lieu of a party mate tapped to serve as minister in the next government.
The SDE came in fifth overall in the Riigikogu elections to conclude March 5, but was invited by the election-winning Reform Party to form a coalition together with Eesti 200. Coalition talks remain underway, however, with 37, 14 and nine seats, respectively, Reform, Eesti 200 and the Social Democrats would command a 60-seat majority in Estonia's 101-seat unicameral parliament.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
