1999 Estonian parliamentary election

Background

Vähi cabinets

After the 1995 parliamentary election, the electoral alliance made up of the Coalition Party and Country Union (KMÜ) and the Centre Party formed a government coalition. The government led by Tiit Vähi remained in office for only seven months, as KMÜ decided to end cooperation with the Centre Party due to the tape scandal in which the leader of the Centre Party Edgar Savisaar was accused of secretly recording political consultations between Prime Minister Tiit Vähi and the chairman of the Reform Party, Siim Kallas.Tiit Vähi and the KMÜ formed a new government with the Reform Party. However, Reform Party had risen in support in the meanwhile to become the most popular party in Estonia, causing tension in the government. Relations between the coalition partners became particularly sharp during the 1996 municipal elections.

After the local elections, the Coalition Party signed a cooperation agreement in Tallinn with the Centre Party, leaving the Reform Party, which came first in the elections, as the main opposition in Tallinn. As a result of that, the Reform Party decided to leave the government, forcing Tiit Vähi had to continue with a minority government. In order to expand the government's support area, Vähi appointed several independent technocrats as ministers, the most important of which was the appointment of future president Toomas Hendrik Ilves as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Scandals

In early 1997, a significant scandal arose surrounding the privatization of several apartments in central Tallinn. The controversy arose when it was revealed that well-known figures, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Toomas Hendrik Ilves, as well as Vähi's own daughter, had acquired those living spaces for cheap prices. At the time of the transactions, Tiit Vähi was also heading the Tallinn City Council. Although Vähi narrowly survived a vote of no confidence in parliament, mounting pressure from the media prompted his resignation.

During the apartment scandal, in order to divert attention from the scandal, Vähi disclosed that the Bank of Northern Estonia (PEP) had lent 10 million dollars to the Swiss company Paradiso SAL in 1993. However, after the first interest payment, it turned out that such a company didn't exist, and the company's representatives had disappeared along with the money. Since the 10 million dollars had been lent to PEP by the Bank of Estonia, which was headed by Siim Kallas at the time, Vähi hinted that Kallas himself had stolen these millions. Criminal proceedings were started, as a result of which Siim Kallas was charged with both abuse of office and preparation for large-scale looting of state property. However, just before the 1999 election, Kallas was acquitted of all charges.

Mart Siimann's cabinet

KMÜ nominated Mart Siimann, the deputy chairman of the Coalition Party, as the new prime minister candidate. Initially, Siimann tried to form a majority government with the Reform Party and Centre Party, but was unsuccessful. Therefore, the new government only ended up including KMÜ. The government was supported by the Centre Party in the parliament.

Coalition preparations

In September 1997, the Reform Party, Pro Patria Union and Moderates signed a cooperation agreement, with which the parliamentary group 'United Opposition' was created in order to oppose the perceived populism and left-leaning economics of the KMÜ and the Centre Party. In January 1998, the Reform Party proposed to the Pro Patria Union and Moderates to come to an agreement to form a government in the event that the parties achieve a parliamentary majority in the upcoming elections. At the end of 1998, the parties signed the agreement without agreeing on an eventual prime minister.

Siim Kallas, chairman of the Reform Party, wanted the leader of the party with the most votes to become prime minister. Other political parties were initially against it due the support of the Reform Party being much higher than that of the other signatories to the agreement and Kallas' reputation being tarnished by the 10 million dollar scandal. However, eventually the parties settled on the chairman of the party with the most votes becoming the prime minister. The created coalition was nicknamed the Triple Alliance.

Electoral system

The 101 members of the Riigikogu (Parliament of Estonia) were elected using a form of proportional representation for a four-year term. The seats were allocated using a modified D'Hondt method. The country was divided into eleven multi-mandate electoral districts. There is a nationwide threshold of 5% for party lists, but if the number of votes cast for a candidate exceeds or equals the simple quota (which shall be obtained by dividing the number of valid votes cast in the electoral district by the number of mandates in the district) the candidate is elected.

Electoral alliances were not allowed anymore, but it didn't prevent a party from including members of another party in its list.

Contesting parties

The Estonian National Electoral Committee announced that 12 political parties and 18 individual candidates registered to take part in the 1999 parliamentary election. Their registration numbers and order were determined by the order of registration.

Results

Notes

References

References

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2. [http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2105_99.htm Estonia: Parliamentary Chamber: Riigikogu: Elections held in 1999] Inter-Parliamentary Union
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12. (2020-08-16). "Uue ajastu arvamusliidrid".