Riigikogu committee asking for parties' views on potential lobbyists register
A Riigikogu committee is asking all party groups represented in parliament for their opinion on changes to practices in MPs' meetings with lobbyists, in effect the creation of a register of these lobbyists.
Riigikogu Anti-Corruption Select Committee member Eduard Odinets (SDE) told ERR that the committee has approached the six Riigkogu party factions, in order to sound them out on whether and to what extent meetings MPs may have with lobbyists might be regulated by the Riigikogu itself.
Odinets said: "We are in the process of asking the opinions from the factions. It does not make sense for us as a committee to start anything major without the consent or cooperation between the parties at the Riigikogu. We will thus initially assess the current situation, within the current composition of the Riigikogu."
The Riigikogu composition, the XV Riigkogu, was elected to office in March this year; the scheduled next general election is in 2027.
Eesti 200 MP Liisa Pakosta had initiated the current discussion at committee level; the matter received only a lukewarm response from the previous, XIV Riigikogu composition.
As reported by ERR News, opposition MPs on the Riigikogu's Anti-Corruption Select Committee say that income tax declarations from Prime Minister Kaja Kallas' (Reform) should be made available, in respect of her spouse's business interests. These came under scrutiny in late summer, when it was revealed that some of those interests included doing business in and with Russia.
Committee member Priit Sibul (Isamaa) told ERR as Kallas had not submitted income declarations to the committee, the committee has discussed the possibility of seeking these itself, from the relevant authority – the Tax and Customs Board (MTA).
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Aleksander Krjukov