Reform Party makes changes to planned distribution of Tallinn leadership posts
The Reform Party has changed its original distribution plan on leadership positions given to its party in Tallinn, following the entry into office of the coalition involving that party, the Social Democrats (SDE), Isamaa and Eesti 200.
While the lineup of Reform's proposed deputy mayors remains unchanged, Reform's PR chief, Sander Andla, will not be the next city council chair as earlier planned, but will instead become the Kesklinn district elder.
Reform has appointed Toomas Kruusimägi (pictured), long-time director of Tallinn English College (Tallinna Inglise Kolledž), to the city council chair post, Delfi reported on Wednesday.
Andla told Delfi that he believes a prestigious position as council chair, ie. speaker of the legislature, should be held by someone with more experience in council work, noting Kruusimägi's extensive experience as the principal of the English college as a significant plus point.
This will also mean that Ülle Rajasalu will not be made Pirita district elder after all.
Pärtel-Peeter Pere, head of the Reform Party's Tallinn region and its current council faction leader, confirmed to Delfi that Sander Andla is moving to the Kesklinn district, where he has previously worked.
The next stage in this musical chairs is that Doris Raudsepp, originally slated by Reform to take the Kesklinn elder post, had as of Wednesday been moved to the Pirita district elder vacancy instead.
This decision left Ülle Rajasalu, who had previously been announced for the Pirita position, with no leadership position assigned to her.
Pere said this was due to Rajasalu withdrawing "out of a desire to give younger people the opportunity to prove themselves in the political arena."
"Rajasalu pledges to support fully the management of Pirita's affairs," Pere added.
In addition to the mayor and their deputy mayors, Tallinn is subdivided into eight districts, each with its elder (linnaosa vanem). Reform is getting two of these as noted (Andla and Raudsepp), along with the city council chair position (ie. Kruusimägi).
The positions will be subject to a city council vote.
Jevgeni Ossinovski (SDE) was by a narrow margin elected mayor of Tallinn last Sunday and is set to head up the Reform-SDE-Isamaa-Eesti 200 coalition in the capital, leaving the Center Party and EKRE in opposition.
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Editor: Mait Ots, Andrew Whyte
