Reform Party elects new leadership, secretary-general

The Reform Party's new leadership, April 14, 2018.
The Reform Party's new leadership, April 14, 2018. Source: Sander Koit/ERR

Beyond confirming single candidate Kaja Kallas as party chairwoman, the Reform Party also elected a new leadership. While plenty of its 16 members stayed on, two prominent candidates were dropped by the delegates.

The delegates at the party's April 14 general meeting had to pick 13 candidates out of the national party, and three out of regional party sections.

The national party's candidates elected to the leadership include Arto Aas, Urmas Klaas, Eerik-Niiles Kross, Urmas Kruuse, Maris Lauri, Jürgen Ligi, Kristen Michal, Urmas Paet, Hanno Pevkur, Taavi Rõivas, Anne Sulling, Aivar Sõerd, and Urve Tiidus.

Out of the candidates of the party's regional sections, Laine Randjärv, Andrus Seeme, and Jaanus Ratas were elected.

Jürgen Ligi, Urmas Paet, and Urmas Klaas were also confirmed deputy chairmen to party chairwoman Kaja Kallas. Kallas said that picking her deputies she followed the principle to have all of the three political levels that matter to her represented: Jürgen Ligi for the national, Urmas Paet for the European, and Urmas Klaas for the local level.

Kalle Palling and Keit Pentus-Rosimannus dropped

Two previously very prominent members of the party leadership, Kalle Palling and Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, were not elected to the leadership. Palling told ERR after his defeat that he was neither "sad" nor "bitter" and doesn't think that a particular wing of the party will dominate from here on in. All of the new leadership's member are active and hard-working, Palling said.

Keit Pentus-Rosimannus told ERR's Estonian news on Saturday evening that she is happy with the number of votes she received, despite not having made it into the party's top decision-making body.

Hanno Pevkur, now replaced by Kaja Kallas as party leader, said that the new leadership represented current developments in the party, but called it a strong team and a group of people who would be able to work together.

At the meeting the party delegates also confirmed Kert Valdaru as Reform's new secretary-general. Valdaru took over from Tõnis Kõiv after the latter was ousted by the party's leadership under Pevkur shortly before Pevkur was forced to step down from higher parliamentary office as well.

Editor: Dario Cavegn

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