EKRE holds protest for direct presidential elections in Estonia
The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) held a protest outside the parliament building ahead of an extraordinary session of the Riigikogu on the start of the election of the country's president. Participants in the demonstration demanded the introduction of direct presidential elections.
Demand to change the electoral system
As ERR News reports, EKRE stated that the current procedure for electing the head of state is not a genuine election, but involves agreements between parties that are later formalized by a vote in parliament.
According to the party, a president elected in this way is inevitably politically dependent and lacks public trust. EKRE is seeking constitutional amendments so that citizens can elect the president themselves.
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The party's position on the vote
The EKRE parliamentary group will not take part in the Riigikogu session at which parliament will begin electing the president, as the party supports its own candidate, Mart Helme.
Helme was not nominated to take part in the first round of voting in parliament because he did not have sufficient support among lawmakers. If the Riigikogu does not elect a president, EKRE plans to continue his presidential campaign and is ready to nominate Helme in the electoral college.
