Political parties mulling over second term for Rüütel

TALLINN – With a presidential ballot scheduled to take place later this year, political leaders have begun floating opinions as to whether President Arnold Rüütel should hold office for a second term.

Taavi Veskimägi, chairman of the right-wing Res Publica party, has said that it would be best for Estonia if Rüütel did not serve a second term. Veskimagi referred to the recent scandal involving the president’s granddaughters in justifying his position, but said it was more a matter of finding a head of state who could best assist the country in tackling its new set of challenges.

“It is namely due to the challenges that the society is faced with that Rüütel would not be the best president for Estonia in the coming period,” he was quoted by the Baltic News Service as saying.

Veskimagi said that Res Publica was ready to cooperate with other parties in finding a suitable candidate.

In Estonia, the president is elected by Parliament.

Rüütel, who is 77, has not announced whether he intends to run.

Still, the People’s Union, a coalition partner that was instrumental in having Rüütel elected in 2001, said it would support Rüütel, while the Center Party, the country’s most popular according to ......

...... both polls and the recent municipal elections, has said that Rüütel has the best chances to win the presidential ballot.

As Edgar Savisaar, chairman of the Center Party, told the Eesti Päevaleht this week, “This is not because all the political parties are loving him so much, but because he has the strongest support of the Estonian people.”

But he added that age was a factor. “On the other hand, there's and age limit for every politician at some point. Sometimes it reminds of itself very painfully -- if we think about Ariel Sharon,” Savisaar, who is economy minister, said.

For the president to be elected, a two-thirds majority of parliamentary votes is required. If MPs are unable to choose a head of state in three consecutive votes, the task passes on to an electoral college consisting of MPs and local government representatives.