New Tallinn coalition can mean exit of district elders

While appointing a new Tallinn mayor, and their deputy mayors, on a permanent basis comes down to political agreement, the situation is a little complex when it comes to the eight district elders (Linnaosavanemad) in Tallinn.
On Tuesday, a motion of no confidence in Mihhail Kõlvart (Center) as mayor of Tallinn passed, meaning a change in governing coalition in the capital.
Tallinn City Government, ie. the executive, had until that point consisted of a coalition of Center and the Social Democrats (SDE).
The city council, ie. the legislature, must according to the rules elect a new mayor within two months. Kõlvart lost his position on March 26, meaning a new permanent mayor must be elected by the end of May.
In the interim period, Madle Lippus (SDE) is acting mayor, following a vote which came on the same day as the motion of no confidence in Mihhail Kõlvart passed.
Under the regulations both a city council faction, ie. one of the six represented parties, or an individual city council deputy, can nominate a candidate for mayor.
Voting on the next mayor is via secret ballot and requires a majority of at least 40, at the 79-seat chamber.
It is currently not known whether the potential new ruling coalition will await the appointment of a new mayor candidate until the next scheduled council meeting, next Thursday, or if the intention is to call an extraordinary session ahead of that.
Once a mayoral candidate gets elected, they have the right to form up a new city government composition on the same day, eg. to determine the number of deputy mayors, their areas of responsibility, and the individuals to be appointed to those posts.
The city council must also confirm that city government composition, an act which can take place at the same session where the mayor is elected.
Unconfirmed reports have it that the potential new coalition has promised the mayoral post to SDE, with both acting Mayor Lippus and SDE's Tallinn faction chair Jevgeni Ossinovski mentioned in connection with the role.
While Reform's Tallinn city council faction chair, Pärtel-Peeter Pere, has expressed a desire for the mayoral position, he has also said that he would not go back on the pledge to SDE that the new mayor come from that party.
The last time a mayor was appointed at the Tallinn legislature was following the October 2021 local elections, when Mihhail Kõlvart was returned, with 45 votes in favor.
The opposing candidate, Urmas Reinsalu (Isamaa), received 21 votes at that time.
Kõlvart first became mayor in April 2019 after his predecessor in the post, Taavi Aas, was made a minister in the Center-EKRE-Isamaa national coalition. Kõlvart became Center Party leader last September.
District elders can still be replaced
In addition to the mayor and their deputy mayors, there are district elders in each of Tallinn's sub-divisions (Haabersti, Kesklinn, Kristiine, Lasnamäe, Mustamäe, Nõmme, Pirita, and Põhja-Tallinn).
The appointments and removals of the new mayor and deputy mayors are done through political agreements. However, the Local Government Organization Act stipulates they cannot be dismissed from service before six months have passed since the start of the term of the mayor under whom they were appointed, with the same applying to district mayors.
Naturally more than six months have passed since the outgoing city government and its mayor and deputies were installed, but the question is now raised as to whether this six-month rule applies to the new Tallinn mayor, once they are elected and whoever they may be.
In other words, do the district elders left over from the Center-SDE coalition era automatically remain in place for another six months.
Tallinn City Secretary Priit Lello told ERR this would not be the case, adding the new ruling coalition can replace the district elders if desired.
"This exception is only valid if the district elder is dismissed by the city government, if the mayor believes their cooperation is not functioning," Lello said.
A district elder's term cannot exceed that of the city government in any case, he added.
Of eight district elder positions, only one is from SDE, namely Karmo Kuri, in Nõmme.
Additionally, not all of the sitting district elders have a mandate at the city council, in other words they are unelected.
Those who are elected can return to sit on the city council if they are removed from office as district elders; these are: Monika Haukanõmm (Kesklinn), Manuela Pihlap (Põhja-Tallinn), Jaanus Riibe (Kristiine), Aivar Riisalu (Mustamäe) and Oleg Siljanov (Haabersti).
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Marko Tooming, Andrew Whyte