The motion was filed the entire five member-strong opposition at the 21-seat council, plus three coalition representatives and one non-aligned deputy.

The motion not only concerns Põhja-Pärnumaa Municipal Mayor Madis Koit, but also the council's chair and deputy chair.

A major reason behind the motion is claims of incompetent management on the part of Koit, including in handling disagreements with the former head of the social center in a coercive manner, and also. poor financial planning.

Rein Kontus, a member of the coalition election alliance Vändra Noored, said. "In the fourth quarter of 2023, the municipality was in a situation where it had to take an advance from the state for 2024, ie. advance payments on grants, while the financial situation remained critical."

"Concurrently, the 2024 budget was being planned, which included significant expenses," Kontus added.

Of these, Kontus, himself a former Põhja-Pärnumaa municipal mayor, referred to a plush opera project organized in Pärnu-Jaagupi this April.

"This surely was a highly prestigious event, in the form of an opera, and is something which no one actually opposes, but the question is whether the municipality should be holding such events in a situation where the financial status is as it is," he commented.

Speaking on behalf of the opposition, Eva Kruuse, from the Inimeste Eest electoral alliance said, "The initiators [of the motion] are the present coalition partners, who Inimeste Eest's members joined up with.

Kruuse had temporarily suspended her council membership for three months earlier on this month.

"The budget, which now is being cut by over €400,000, and the lack of substantial engagement are certainly topics to be discussed. And, of course, the attitude towards their people and employees," Kruuse added.

Mayor Koit, currently on vacation, has said he views the situation as a political power play.

He conceded that he could have handled the conflict with the social center head differently, but disagrees with the financial criticisms.

Koit said: "This year's budget is the strongest in recent years in terms of budget discipline and balance."

"Errors were committed in previous years, mistakes which we are now correcting. Regarding the opera house, the expenditure came to approximately €65,000, with revenues of around €40,000 – so we're talking about a net cost of a couple of tens of thousands, so we don't even consider it an expense but rather a marketing budget for the municipality," he went on.

"Several of our cultural events, which we use to market the municipality, are now more than paying for themselves," Koit added.

Madis Koit became the mayor of Põhja-Pärnumaa Municipality in August last year.

Municipal Council Chair Ülle Vapper, also subject to the same motion of no confidence, said, too, that the criticisms found in it are without merit.

The vote of no confidence is to be debated at a special Põhja-Pärnumaa municipal meeting next week.

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