2003 Estonian parliamentary election

none Estonia parliamentary 1999 Estonian parliamentary election 1999 Members of the 9th Riigikogu 2007 Estonian parliamentary election 2007 Members of the 10th Riigikogu 101 seats in the Riigikogu 51 2 March 2003 130x130px Edgar Savisaar 2005-crop.jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Edgar Savisaar Estonian Centre Party 28 seats 28 125,709 25.40% 2.00pp Juhan-Parts.jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Juhan Parts Res Publica Party – 28 New 121,856 24.62% New Siim Kallas 3.JPG 120 120 160 0 0 Siim Kallas Estonian Reform Party 18 seats 19 1 87,551 17.69% 1.79pp Villu Reiljan, Eesti ettevõtja ja endine poliitik 2001.jpg 120 120 160 0 0 Villu Reiljan People's Union of Estonia 7 13 6 64,463 13.03% 5.82pp Tunne Kelam 07.jpg 140 120 160 0 0 Tunne Kelam Pro Patria Union 18 7 11 36,169 7.31% 8.79pp Ivari Padar MEP 01.JPG 120 120 160 10 0 Ivari Padar Moderate People's Party 17 6 11 34,837 7.04% 8.11pp 2003. aasta Riigikogu valimiste tulemused.svg Results by electoral district Prime Minister Prime Minister after election Siim Kallas Estonian Reform Party Juhan Parts Res Publica PartyParliamentary elections were held in Estonia on 2 March 2003. The newly elected 101 members of the 10th Riigikogu assembled at Toompea Castle in Tallinn within ten days of the election. Two opposing parties won the most seats, with both the Centre Party and Res Publica Party winning 28 seats in the Riigikogu. Res Publica was able to gain enough support in negotiations after the elections to form a coalition government. Background Following the 1999 election, a Triple Alliance coalition government was formed by Mart Laar of the Pro Patria Union, including the Reform Party and the Moderates.Estonia: Parliamentary Chamber: Riigikogu: Elections held in 1999 Inter-Parliamentary Union By late 2001, scandals related to the privatization of state-owned enterprises had made the government unpopular, and relations between the Pro Patria Union and the Reform Party deteriorated. In December 2001, the Reform Party entered a coalition with the Centre Party in Tallinn, as a result of which Edgar Savisaar became the mayor. This happened after Reform had left the same Triple Alliance governing coalition in Tallinn. Prime Minister Mart Laar decided to resign, as he felt that the national level Triple Alliance government had essentially collapsedKallas: kolmikliit peab jätkama https://www.delfi.ee/artikkel/2661928 2023-08-21 Delfi etMuuli Kalle Kodanike riik: reformierakond loomisest kuni tänapäevani 2014 Menu Kirjastus 978-9949-549-07-8 Hainsalu Esta TallinnKuidas kolmikliit valitsust moodustas https://www.aripaev.ee/uudised/1999/03/15/kuidas-kolmikliit-valitsust-moodustas 2023-08-21 Äripäev et Following that, a new coalition government was formed between the Reform Party and the Centre Party, with Siim Kallas from the Reform Party of Estonia as Prime Minister. https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2812233.stm Deadlock in Estonia election 2009-06-01 2003-03-03 BBC News Online On 26 November 2002 the President of Estonia, Arnold Rüütel, set 2 March 2003 as the election date. https://www.rferl.org/a/1341478.html Baltic Report: December 6, 2002 2009-06-01 2002-12-06 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 947 candidates from 11 political parties contested the election as well as 16 independents. https://www.rferl.org/a/1341403.html Baltic Report: January 28, 2003 2009-06-01 2003-01-28 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 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 is divided into twelve 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. District numberElectoral DistrictSeats1Haabersti, Põhja-Tallinn and Kristiine districts in Tallinn82Kesklinn, Lasnamäe and Pirita districts in Tallinn103Mustamäe and Nõmme districts in Tallinn84Harjumaa (without Tallinn) and Raplamaa counties125Hiiumaa, Läänemaa and Saaremaa counties76Lääne-Virumaa county67Ida-Virumaa county88Järvamaa and Viljandimaa counties99Jõgevamaa and Tartumaa counties (without Tartu)810Tartu city811Võrumaa, Valgamaa and Põlvamaa counties912Pärnumaa county8 Contesting parties List of political parties in Estonia The Estonian National Electoral Committee announced that 11 political parties and 16 individual candidates registered to take part in the 2003 parliamentary election. Their registration numbers and order were determined by the order of registration.https://www.ester.ee/record=b4560352*est Valimised Eestis: statistikat ja selgitusi 2011 Vabariigi Valimiskomisjon Heinsalu Alo Tallinn Koitmäe Arne Mandre Leino Pilving Mihkel Vinkel Priit Eero Gerli Eesti Rahvusraamatukogu Eesti NameIdeologyPolitical positionLeaderTotal candidates1999 resultVotes (%)Seats1Centre PartyPopulismCentre-leftEdgar Savisaar12523.4%28 101 Estonian Centre Party2Moderate People's PartySocial democracy/ConservatismThe electoral coalition was formed by the nominally social democratic Moderates (Mõõdukad) party and the conservative People's Party (Rahvaerakond).CentreIvari Padar12515.2%17 101 Social Democratic Party (Estonia)3People's UnionAgrarianismCentre to centre-leftVillu Reiljan1257.3%7 101 People's Union of Estonia4Pro Patria UnionNational conservatismRight-wingTunne Kelam12516.1%18 101 Pro Patria Union5Social Democratic Labour PartyDemocratic socialismLeft-wingTiit Toomsalu126.1%On the list of Estonian United People's Party, where it won one seat1 101 Estonian Left Party6United People's PartyRussia's national interestsEesti Päevaleht 20 June 2008: Kaitsepolitsei aastaraamat: Vene luure tegi mullu Eestis usinalt tööd https://web.archive.org/web/20080630100711/http://epl.ee/artikkel/433236 2008-06-30 by Kärt Anvelthttp://www.kapo.ee/cms-data/_text/138/124/files/aastaraamat-2007-eng.pdf Annual Review 2007 Estonian Security Police 2008 Tallinn 8 Counterintelligence https://web.archive.org/web/20100415031941/http://www.kapo.ee/cms-data/_text/138/124/files/aastaraamat-2007-eng.pdf 2010-04-15 deadhttps://www.kapo.ee/sites/default/files/public/content_page/aastaraamat-2007.pdf KAPO aastaraamat 2007 2023-08-23 2016-10-10 https://web.archive.org/web/20161010042514/https://www.kapo.ee/sites/default/files/public/content_page/aastaraamat-2007.pdf dead Kaitsepolitsei aastaraamat: Vene luure tegi mullu Eestis usinalt tööd https://epl.delfi.ee/artikkel/51133812/kaitsepolitsei-aastaraamat-vene-luure-tegi-mullu-eestis-usinalt-tood 2023-08-22 Eesti Päevaleht etCentre-leftAndrei Zarenkov1066.1%5 101 Constitution Party (Estonia)7Reform PartyClassical liberalismCentre-rightSiim Kallas12515.9%18 101 Estonian Reform Party8Res Publica PartyLiberal conservatismCentre-rightJuhan Parts125did not exist9Christian People's PartyChristian democracyCentre-rightAldo Vinkel302.4%0 101 Party of Estonian Christian Democrats10Independence PartyEstonian nationalismFar-rightVello Leito37did not participate11Russian PartyRussian minority interestsSyncreticStanislav Tšerepanov120.2%0 101 #9ed1ee—Individual candidates—16did not exist Campaign Opinion polls showed the Centre Party led by the mayor of Tallinn, Edgar Savisaar, with a small lead in the run up to the election. Ruth Sullivan The Financial Times 32 2003-02-24 They were expected to gain support from among those who had not benefited from the rapid economic reforms that had taken place over the last decade. http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/03/02/estonia.vote.reut/ Slim win for Estonia's left 2009-06-01 2003-03-02 CNN However their populism and their lack of a clear policy on whether Estonia should join the European Union meant they were likely to struggle to form a coalition after the election. The leading critics of the Centre Party were from the new conservative Res Publica Party, which had only been formed in 2002. Res Publica's campaign focused on the need to address crime and corruption and they portrayed themselves as being a change to the older political parties. Res Publica had performed strongly in the 2002 local elections after being formed from the youth wings of some of the other right wing political parties. A leading issue in the election was the tax system with the Centre Party pledging to scrap the flat tax and change it to a progressive tax system. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2003/3/3/latest/10540Centerlef&sec=latest https://web.archive.org/web/20110604015542/http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2003%2F3%2F3%2Flatest%2F10540Centerlef&sec=latest dead 2011-06-04 Center-left party wins popular vote in Estonia 2009-06-01 2003-03-03 TheStar.com Both Res Publica and the Reform Party opposed this, with the Reform Party calling for the tax rate to be cut significantly. The personalities of the various party leaders were also a significant part of the campaign, with opponents particularly attacked the Centre Party leader Edgar Savisaar. Savisaar had quit as interior minister in 1995 after being accused of taping rival politicians and during the campaign the media raised questions over the financing of his campaign. Opinion polls Poll results are listed in the table below in reverse chronological order, showing the most recent first. The highest percentage figure in each poll is displayed in bold, and the background shaded in the leading party's color. In the instance that there is a tie, then no figure is shaded. DatePolling firmKeskILRefREMKoEERLEÜRPESDTPEKRPVEEERPEIPOthersNo preferenceLead2 Mar 2003Election results25.47.317.77.013.02.20.41.10.224.60.50.40.8Feb 2003ES Turu-uuringute 304135624186Sep 2002ES Turu-uuringute 206153676385Jul 2002ES Turu-uuringute 2079662111573511Jun 2002ES Turu-uuringute 20813888728714-25 Mar 2002ES Turu-uuringute 2281577714207Feb 2002ES Turu-uuringute 19612786933728 Jan 2002Siim Kallas' cabinet is formed by Ref and KeskDec 2001ES Turu-uuringute 22611988828118 Dec 2001The Res Publica Party (ERP) is formedNov 2001Emor 2171391131817 Nov 2001The Estonian Coalition Party (KoE) approves decision to disband the party2-11 Nov 2001ES Turu-uuringute 2291087153012Oct 2001Emor 151014713311Oct 2001ES Turu-uuringute 186119104673-12 Sep 2001ES Turu-uuringute 2010128262111063189-16 Jul 2001ES Turu-uuringute 209118142011016369Jun 2001ES Turu-uuringute 201313963979-15 May 2001ES Turu-uuringute 1781314131211133536-14 Apr 2001ES Turu-uuringute 1781013142111043847-14 Mar 2001ES Turu-uuringute 23912163377Feb 2001ES Turu-uuringute 221291324389Feb 2001Emor 12811536117 Feb 2001Kesknädal, the Centre Party's (Kesk) party newspaper, publishes an accusation of PM Mart Laar (IL) having shot at a picture of opposition leader Edgar Savisaar (Kesk), later known as the picture scandalNov 2001Emor 18111091834716-23 Oct 2000ES Turu-uuringute 261511152421111912118-18 Sep 2000ES Turu-uuringute 241113153731111159921-28 Jan 2000ES Turu-uuringute 22191214383021079325 Mar 1999Mart Laar's second cabinet is formed by IL, Ref and REM 7 Mar 1999 1999 election23.416.115.915.27.67.36.12.42.03.97.328181817776000010 Results The results saw the Centre Party win the most votes but they were only 0.8% ahead of the new Res Publica party. Election leaves hung parliament The Independent 9 2003-03-03 As a result, both parties won 28 seats, which was a disappointment for the Centre Party who had expected to win the most seats. https://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/04/world/world-briefing-europe-estonia-leftists-reeling-after-election.html?n=Top%2FReference%2FTimes%20Topics%2FSubjects%2FE%2FElections World Briefing Europe: Estonia: Leftists Reeling After Election 2009-06-01 2003-03-04 The New York Times Michael Wines Altogether the right of centre parties won 60 seats, compared to only 41 for the left wing, and so were expected to form the next government. The World This Week The Economist 8 2003-03-08 Voter turnout was higher than expected at 58%. The Russian minority parties lost representation in parliament, with most of such voter switching to Estonian parties of the left (Estonian Centre Party) or some to the non-nationalist right (Reform Party). File:Riigikogu 2003 election.svg Estonian Centre PartyThe Estonian Centre Party list included members of the Estonian Pensioners' Party. 125709 28 0 Res Publica Party 121856 28 New Estonian Reform Party 87551 19 +1 People's Union of EstoniaThe People's Union of Estonia list included members of the New Estonia Party. 64463 13 +6 Pro Patria Union 36169 7 –11 Moderate People's Party 34837 6 –11 Estonian United People's Party 11113 0 –6 Estonian Christian People's Party 5275 0 0 Estonian Independence Party 2705 0 New Social Democratic Labour Party 2059 0 New Russian Party in EstoniaThe Russian Party in Estonia list included members of the Party of Estonian Unity, Russian Baltic Party in Estonia and the Russian Unity Party. 990 0 0 Independents 2161 0 0 5798 0 859714 Nohlen & StöverDieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, pp585–588 978-3-8329-5609-7 Aftermath Both the Centre and Res Publica parties said that they should get the chance to try and form the next government, http://www.rferl.org/Content/Article/1102385.html Estonia: Two Parties Want To Form Government After Close Election 2009-06-01 2003-03-03 Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty dead https://web.archive.org/web/20090217002511/http://www.rferl.org/content/Article/1102385.html 2009-02-17 while ruling out any deal between themselves. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2815367.stm Estonia quandary after split vote 2009-06-01 2003-03-03 BBC News Online President Rüütel had to decide who he should nominate as Prime Minister and therefore be given the first chance at forming a government. On the 2 April he invited the leader of the Res Publica party, Juhan Parts to form a government http://www.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2105_03.htm Estonia: parliamentary elections Riigikogu, 2003 2009-06-01 Inter-Parliamentary Union and after negotiations a coalition government composed of Res Publica, the Reform Party and the People's Union of Estonia was formed on the 10 April. The government has also been referred to as the Harmony coalition.2022-03-30 Koosmeele koalitsioon 2003 Reformierakond https://reform.ee/erakond/koalitsioonid/koosmeele-koalitsioon-2003/ 2023-08-22 et2003-03-09 Koosmeele koalitsioon https://arvamus.postimees.ee/2004543/koosmeele-koalitsioon 2023-08-22 Arvamus etRes Publica pooldas koosmeele koalitsiooni https://www.ohtuleht.ee/136678/res-publica-pooldas-koosmeele-koalitsiooni 2023-08-22 www.ohtuleht.ee etRes Publica pooldab koosmeele koalitsiooni https://www.delfi.ee/artikkel/5268794/res-publica-pooldab-koosmeele-koalitsiooni 2023-08-22 Delfi et References External links Estonian Electoral Commission 2003 Estonia Parliamentary election Estonian parliamentary election