Former United Left Party expels hundreds of members and adopts new name

During its general meeting on Saturday, the former United Left Party of Estonia (Eestimaa Ühendatud Vasakpartei), opted to change its name to Eestimaa Vasakliit (Left Alliance). The party's new leadership also dropped hundreds of former members, who it alleged had been not active enough or had not paid membership fees.
"We have adopted a new name, a new constitution, a new programme and elected a new leadership," said Robert Kiisler, one of the leaders of Vasakliit.
The party is now left with just 27 members. "This was necessary to achieve a quorum," Kiisler said.
Kiisler said they had not yet received a date from Tartu County Court's registration office by which the party has top have at least 500 members in order to be officially registered.
"We need to recruit new members quickly and in large numbers," Kiisler said.
The party's new slogan is "On Your Left." According to Kiisler, the newly reborn party is more socially progressive than before and is no longer so tied to the interests of Estonia's Russian-speaking population.
"Vasakliit supports a graduated income tax, taxation of corporate profits, the introduction of an inheritance tax, additional social guarantees for the disadvantaged, the introduction of responsibility-related pay for teachers, police officers, rescuers, additional social guarantees and support for students and young families. Vasakliit does not question Estonia's foreign policy choices so far, including membership of the European Union and NATO, as well as support for the Ukrainian people, who are victims of Russia's war of aggression," the new party's website says.

Vasakliit will not stand in this fall's local elections, but may run in the next Riigikogu elections, Kiisler said.
The United Left Party of Estonia (Eestimaa Ühendatud Vasakpartei) was founded on November 28, 1992 in Tallinn at the first congress of the Estonian Democratic Labor Party (Eesti Demokraatliku Tööpartei). The party previously wanted to change its name to Vasakpoolsed (Left-wingers), but failed due to lack of a quorum.
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Editor: Mari Peegel, Michael Cole