Sides burn midnight oil to hash out Tallinn coalition agreement

The recent round of coalition talks for a new power in Estonia's capital Tallinn lasted until 3 a.m. As a result, the four parties have agreed on everything except a statement on the voting rights of non-citizens, city government positions and a few nuances of phrasing.
Delegations of the sides to the incoming coalition – Reform Party, Social Democratic Party (SDE), Isamaa and Eesti 200 – worked until the wee hours of Friday to finalize everything except a few last items delegation heads can hash out among themselves. The aim is to get it done by Saturday, which is when the local branches of the four parties can approve the agreement, followed by the Tallinn City Council appointing a new city government Sunday.
The heads of delegations must agree on the final phrasing of a statement regarding the local elections voting rights of non-citizens and decide which city government posts will go to which parties (mayor, deputy mayors, city district elders and city council leaders). Development of the capital's hospitals and speed limits are also among the few remaining loose ends," Acting Mayor Madle Lippus (SDE) said.
The sides agreed on Thursday that restricting the voting rights of third-country nationals will be mentioned in Tallinn's coalition agreement.
Lippus confirmed that progress has been made on this topic, adding that the exact phrasing still needs to be hammered out.
She said that the negotiating partners believe the agreement can be finalized Friday.
"Once we have an agreement regarding the text, all sides will need to carry out their internal procedures, talk to their boards, [local] factions and get their approval. To be ready for Sunday," Lippus remarked.
The Tallinn City Council plans to hold an extraordinary sitting to vote in the new city government Sunday evening.
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Editor: Marcus Turovski