NordenBladet —

According to the explanatory memorandum to the Bill, the purpose of the amendments is to ensure that, in the event the Riigikogu decides to amend the Constitution, it will be possible to form the electoral districts after the constitutional amendment has entered into force.

The Bill on Amendments to the Municipal Council Election Act (544 SE), initiated by Isamaa Parliamentary Group, stipulates that electoral districts will be formed not later than on the 60th day before the election day, and the council will distribute the mandates between electoral districts based on the number of voters according to the population register data as of 15 July of the election year.

Under the current Act, electoral districts are formed not later than on the 90th day before the election day and the mandates are distributed based on the information as of 1 June.

Ants Frosch from Isamaa Parliamentary Group, Priit Lomp from the Social Democratic Party Parliamentary Group and Vadim Belobrovtsev from the Estonian Centre Party Group took the floor during the debate.

The Centre Party Group moved to reject the Bill. Four members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 49 voted against. Thus, the motion was not supported, and the first reading was concluded.

After the sitting, members of the Riigikogu are planning to form the Republic of Georgia Support Group on the initiative of Member of the Riigikogu Lauri Laats and the Estonian language Support Group on the initiative of Member of the Riigikogu Ando Kiviberg.

Verbatim record of the sitting (in Estonian)

Video recording of the sitting will be available on the Riigikogu YouTube channel.

Riigikogu Press Service
Merilin Kruuse
+372 631 6592; +372 510 6179
merilin.kruuse@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: The Riigikogu discussed extending the deadlines for the formation of electoral districts

Source: Parliament of Estonia