A member of the Riigikogu will not sign the nomination of any candidate for the Estonian presidency
Zuleikha Izmailova, an independent member of the Estonian Parliament, stated that she will not sign the nomination of Justice Chancellor Yulle Madise for the presidency and will not sign in support of any other candidate. This was reported by ERR News.
According to Izmailova, Madise already has significantly more signatures than are required for official registration as a candidate, so her own signature will not make a significant difference. At least 21 members of the Riigikogu must sign for a candidate to be registered. Meanwhile, at least 68 votes are required for election as president in a secret ballot by parliament on September 2–3.
Last week, Reform Party Secretary-General Kristo Ann Vaga stated that Izmailova had told him she was prepared to vote for Madise. Previously, the MP had criticized the Chancellor of Justice for participating in a book presentation featuring author Peeter Helme, who, according to ERR, was convicted of a sexual offense against a child. Izmailova stated that for this reason, Madise could not count on her vote.
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The lawmaker also reported that a planned meeting with Madise had been postponed due to scheduling conflicts. During the upcoming conversation, she plans to raise issues related to women’s and children’s rights, youth mental health, the environment, and climate change.
According to ERR, Madise could count on 63 signatures from lawmakers from the Reform Party, Eesti 200, and the Social Democratic Party. After the opposition party Isamaa announced its support for her candidacy, Madise now has significantly more signatures than required for registration. Candidate registration will take place from August 21 to 24. On the eve of the registration period, Tiit Land, rector of Tallinn University of Technology, was cited as Madise’s main rival.
