Estonian political analysts said that the country’s parliament, the Riigikogu, was unlikely to agree on the election of a new president, ERR reported. The election was therefore likely to move to the electoral college, the analysts said. Both Tarmo Jüristo, head of the Liberal Citizen Foundation (SALK), and Tõnis Saarts, associate professor of comparative politics at Tallinn University, said that the parliamentary election campaign made reaching a consensus between parties more difficult, ERR reported. Sociologist Juhan Kivirähk noted that politicians disagreed on the qualifications that the new president should have. Art Johanson, board member of the Institute for Societal Research (YI), suggested that if parliament fails to elect the next president, politicians could ask outgoing President Alar Karis to stand again. Earlier, Karis announced that he would not run for a second term in office.
Meanwhile, Urmas Reinsalu, chairman of the opposition Fatherland party, accused the ruling coalition of pressuring Karis not to seek a second term because he was too independent, ERR reported. Mihhail Kõlvart, chairman of the opposition Estonian Centre Party, also accused the coalition of “political intrigues” to push a popular president not to run again, ERR reported. Lauri Läänemets, chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Party, now expects the coalition to invite other parties for consultations on possible candidates, ERR reports. Prime Minister Kristen Michal, leader of the Estonian Reform Party, insisted that the next president must be clear on foreign and security policy, ERR reported. Toomas Uibo, chairman of the parliamentary group of Reform’s coalition partner, Estonia 200, also said that the next president should have strong foreign policy experience, ERR reported.