The Riigikogu Central Party fraction cannot yet choose a new president, because first it is necessary to introduce changes in the committees, said the current vice-president of the fraction Andrei Korobeinik. According to him, he is waiting for a solution from the president of the Riigikogu, Lauri Hussar (Estonia 200).
“We discussed the topic of factional council in the party council, but we cannot hold elections, because there was no new movement. I discussed this topic with Lauri Hussar. He said that negotiations will be held with deputies without factions, but he did not specify when the negotiations will take place, they could end victoriously,” Korobeinik told ERR.
After Tanel Kiige, Jaak Aabi, Andre Hanimäe and Ester Karus left the Center Party and joined the Social Democratic Party, they became non-faction members of the Riigikogu. However, they are likely to support the coalition in their decisions and votes.
Korobeinik fears that the hussars will interpret the situation in such a way that members who have changed parties are not representatives of the coalition.
“Once again, this is contrary to all previous practices. I hope that one solution or another will still be reached. I understand that this situation is quite convenient for the coalition. However, I don’t think they sincerely want to take full control of the coalition. All the important committees have been eliminated. In any case they have the majority of votes. I don’t think they are at all interested in the opinion of the opposition,” Korobeinik said.
According to Korobeinik, the Center Party is in a hurry with these decisions. “We have important committees in which we have no representation. We are waiting for Aleksandr Chaplygin to be transferred to the social committee, for which we currently have no coverage. Furthermore we have a situation where both the chairman and the vice-chairman of the Finance Committee are representatives of the coalition , which is against parliamentary practice,” Korobeinik said.
Korobeinik himself is a member of the finance committee.
Korobeinik hopes to talk to Lauri Hussar again on Monday next week. “Nothing will happen this week, there will be no sessions next week. I really hope the ice starts moving after that,” Korobeinik said.
Hussar: The central faction has no obstacles in electing the president
Riigikogu president Lauri Hussar (Estonia 200) told ERR that if the center party faction wanted it, it could choose a new president immediately.
“There is nothing to prevent the election of the president of the Center Party today. They can choose the president of the Center Party right away. There are definitely no obstacles here,” Hussar said.
“Regarding the committees, since there have been a significant number of non-factional deputies in the Riigikogu, there have already been movements in the committees. Negotiations are currently ongoing between the factions and between the Riigikogu council and the factions in to ensure several principles, and one principle also concerns how the proportionality of political forces in the committees would be ensured,” Hussar said.
Furthermore, according to Hussar, the Riigikogu council must also evaluate the operational capacity of the committees.
Speaking about Tanel Kiige, Jaak Aabi, Andre Hanimäe and Ester Karus, the hussars said that according to the Riigikogu Law on Labor and Internal Order they cannot be considered coalition deputies.
“Today the coalition is made up of deputies from the Reform Party, Estonia 200 and the Social Democratic Party. And even today the deputies from the fractions are not formally part of the coalition, their signature is not even on the coalition agreement, and therefore it is very difficult to treat them as part of a natural coalition,” Hussar said.
2024-01-25 11:41:00
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