Richness of Life, which follows a broadly ecological platform and favours the decentralisation of power and placing it more into the hands of local organisations, does not have a leader as such. Mr Kangur is named as its prime ministerial candidate, in the theoretical case of the party winning suficient seats to form a government.

"We have agreed on the top candidates for each electoral districts, while we are planning to place the rest of the candidates alphabetically according to the first name," party representative Lauri Tõnspoeg told BNS on Thursday.

Mr Tõnspoeg will be number one candidate in Mustamäe and Nõmme (Tallinn) with Toomas Trapido running in the top spot in City Centre, Lasnamäe and Pirita (also in Tallinn). Party co-founder and former Free Party leader Artur Talvik is to run at number one in Harju and Rapla Counties.

Self-sustaining in more than one way

Richness of Life says it aims to transform Estonia into a smart organic country, where the main emphasis is on an economy that is environmentally friendly. Education is also an important facet of its platform.

The party has been having some teething problems in respect of candidates, with the financial deposit candidates must pay (€500) not secured in all cases. The party says it is hampered by the fact that candidates must stump up this money themselves, whereas the larger parties can rely on their state-supported coffers (elected parties in Estonia get state grants) as well as their larger numbers of supporter donations.

The party will not run the maximum 125-strong list of candidates, settling instead for about three candidates for each of the 12 electoral districts, it says.

Richness of Life is the second newcomer to the political scene. Both it and Estonia 200 will be contesting their first ever election on 3 March.

The deadline for registering candidates is at 18.00 on Thursday, 17 January.

Please note that the Richness of Life Party had earlier been referred to as the Biodiversity Party in ERR News pieces.

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