Coalition may end up deciding opposition representative on Riigikogu board

The opposition Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE), Isamaa and Center Party may end up fielding multiple candidates in the Riigikogu vice-president elections coming up at the beginning of April, which means that it could be the coalition parties' stance that proves decisive in determining who will become the next second vice-president of the Riigikogu.
Speaking to ERR on Friday, Martin Helme, chair of the largest opposition party, said that EKRE definitely intends to field its own candidate. He did, however, dismiss the possibility of running for the spot himself.
"I myself am not running," Helme said. "It is quite clear that all of the other parliamentary groups agree that they don't want to help me in any way at all."
Asked who, then, could be EKRE's candidate and whether it might be former Riigikogu speaker Henn Põlluaas, the party chair replied that many options exist, but no decision has been made yet, and it still needs to be discussed within their parliamentary group.
According to ERR's information, one possible candidate for EKRE may be Rain Epler.
Urmas Reinsalu, chair of the second-largest opposition party Isamaa, likewise said that his party hasn't yet made a decision in the matter.
Asked about current second vice-chairman Jüri Ratas, who defected from Center to Isamaa, serving another term, Reinsalu replied, "All I can say is that Jüri Ratas as a representative of the opposition has done balanced and good work on the Riigikogu board. But the time to decide is coming up soon, I suppose."
At the same time, the EKRE chair was fairly confident that Ratas would be running for reelection in the board elections on April 4.
"Broadly speaking, it's clear two weeks ahead of time already that Isamaa will be nominating Ratas," Helme said. "Right now, Ratas is currently going around diligently haggling for votes from the coalition – mainly from the Reform Party. It's not clear how many he'll get from there, but he will get something."
Helme also noted that EKRE has a deal with Center whose six parliamentary group MPs would likewise support EKRE's candidate. "So broadly speaking, we have 23 votes, and in order for Ratas to [be elected], on top Isamaa he'd also have to get around a dozen additional votes from the coalition side," he pointed out.
EKRE's parliamentary group currently consists of 16 members, but it also has the support of ex-EKRE and unaffiliated MP Kalle Grünthal as well.
Isamaa's parliamentary group consists of eight MPs, however two recent defectors from Center have also joined the party: Ratas and also Jaanus Karilaid.
Meanwhile, it is unknown whom the likewise ex-Center but still unaffiliated Enn Eesmaa and Kersti Sarapuu would support.
Ratas won't have Center's support
Center whip Lauri Laats didn't outright say that their group's six MPs would support EKRE's candidate, but he did explicitly rule out voting for the former leader of their party.
"I can say for certain that that if they nominate Ratas, then Jüri Ratas will not have our support," Laats told ERR Friday.
The Riigikogu Rules of Procedure and Internal Rules Act stipulates that first to be elected in Riigikogu board elections is the president of the Riigikogu, known colloquially as the speaker.
This is followed by the election of two vice-presidents, or deputy speakers, simultaneously, with the candiate for vice-president to receive the most votes elected first vice-president and the candidate to earn the second most votes elected second vice-president.
Together with MPs who have switched parties, Estonia's ruling Reform-Eesti 200-Social Democratic Party (SDE) coalition currently has 65 votes in the 101-seat Riigikogu. This means that, with coordination, they could manage to secure the Riigikogu's first vice-president seat, but also have enough votes to ensure that a more favorable candidate takes the second vice-president spot as well.
In the elections for the current Riigikogu board held last April 10, Lauri Hussar (Eesti 200) was elected president of the Riigikogu with 59 to Martin Helme's 20 votes.
In the vote for vice-presidents, Toomas Kivimägi (Reform) was elected first vice-president with 56 voted and Jüri Ratas, then still a member of the Center Party, second vice-president with 27 votes; with 17 votes, Martin Helme did not end up elected.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Aili Vahtla