At last week's local election, Center won 37 seats, SDE 17 and Isamaa 11 and 40 is needed for a majority. SDE, Reform and Parempoolsed want to block Center – which was in power for two decades in the capital – out of governing with a four-party coalition.

But Isamaa says it is open to both sides. The party, which is being viewed as a potential kingmaker, said it would continue to follow its own schedule.

"We want to continue bilateral negotiations and still want to get answers to the questions that concern us. Isamaa is the deciding factor right now, and we hope that the people who are our partners understand the considerations Isamaa is currently facing," said Riina Solman, head of Isamaa's Tallinn faction.

As the party's chairman, Urmas Reinsalu, was abroad over the weekend, Isamaa took a break from negotiations and will resume discussions about internal organizational matters on Monday. It also did not prepare responses over the weekend to questions submitted by the Center Party.

Other parties say they do not understand the delay in starting talks.

SDE mayoral candidate Jevgeni Ossinovski asked members of Reform, Isamaa and Parempoolsed to begin talks to form a Tallinn coalition at 10 a.m. on Monday morning.

Ossinovski told Sunday's "Aktuaalne kaamera": "For me, this kind of stalling is incomprehensible. Isamaa really needs to make a value-based decision, whether they are going to join the four-party talks or return to help the Center Party regain control of city government. One-on-one meetings... We'll obviously meet with them, but after a year and a half of working with Isamaa, it's unlikely either side will learn anything new or surprising about the other."

Reform Party Deputy Chair Maris Lauri said: "Certainly, the other parties also have questions for Isamaa, whether this cooperation will work or not. Because the fact is, the four parties are quite different in some respects, and we need to weigh how we can move forward."

Parempoolsed Chair Lavly Perling said: "This kind of delay is irresponsible toward the voter. Voters expect clarity, even just regarding who will begin negotiations. To take any next steps, we need to understand whether Isamaa is so divided that they can't say yes or no, or whether they'll just say whether they're coming to the negotiating table or not."

Solman responded to the criticism by saying good things take time.

"We are not divided. We have one chair, one Tallinn regional chair, one party. Of course, entering power is anxiety-inducing. As you can see, everyone wants to be in power—one side, the other side. Since Isamaa is the deciding factor, there's pressure on us to make a quick decision. But that's no way to grind good flour," said Solman.

The meeting was canceled at 9:30 on Monday: "There will be no meeting," Ossinovski told ERR.

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