Court forbids parallel election in municipality contesting forced merger
While Järva County's Koeru Municipality decided in June that its residents would elect Koeru Municipal Council in the municipal elections in October despite the administrative reform and the forced merger it faces, Tallinn Circuit Court on Thursday upheld a previous ruling by Tallinn Administrative Court that the municipality does not have the right to hold parallel elections.
Koeru Municipal Council on June 21 decided to proceed based on the current administrative division during the municipal elections scheduled for Oct. 15 and hold elections for it council. The council ignored the fact that, as anticipated, the Estonian government on June 22 approved the formation of a new administrative unit, Järva Municipallity, by forcibly merging the municipalities of Albu, Ambla, Imavere, Järva-Jaani, Kareda, Koeru and Koigi.
On July 19, the governor of Järva County turned to Tallinn Administrative Court to have Koeru Municipality's decision annulled. The county governor also submitted a request for the application for legal protection in which he sought to suspend the validity of the municipality's decision.
On Aug. 9, the administrative court partially applied legal protection, forbidding Koeru Municipality from carrying out procedures, including election procedures, based on the June 21 decision.
Koeru Municipal Council then took the case to Tallinn Circuit Court, but lost after the court ruled on Thursday to uphold the administrative court's ruling.
Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS
