Justice chancellor: I have not agreed to any presidential nomination
Chancellor of Justice Ülle Madise has said she has not given her consent to be a presidential candidate ahead of this autumn's elections.
This followed a Social Democrats' (SDE) proposal Wednesday that she run for president.
"I thank everyone who has expressed support for me, but I have not given my consent to anyone for my candidacy. As Chancellor of Justice, I remain impartial and will continue my work based on that principle," Madise said in response.
SDE deputy chair Tanel Kiik had said Madise would be a strong enough candidate to get elected president at the Riigikogu, avoiding a protracted electoral process. Kiik did concede at the time that this would hinge on Madise accepting the offer to run.
Other parties also reacted to SDE's proposal. Coalition party Eesti 200 indicated via its leader, Kristina Kallas, that it would support Madise's candidacy, while Eesti 200's partner in office, Reform, said much the same thing. Reform's Riigikogu faction chief Õnne Pillak said Madise "would undoubtedly be a very strong and promising candidate," noting Madise's name had come up repeatedly at party meetings on the matter.
Mihhail Kõlvart, leader of the opposition Center Party, criticized SDE over the move, saying it had rushed into making a decision without consulting Madise herself on the matter, in order to score political points.
The official presidential candidate nomination process takes place August 21-24, and with current incumbent Alar Karis having announced he will not be seeking re-election, the field is wide open on who might be running.
The election process starts September 2 at the Riigikogu. If three ballots at parliament fail to produce the two-thirds (68 seats) majority required to elect a president, the process moves to a regional electoral college. The two-thirds majority means cross-party support from opposition and coalition MPs is essential. The unusually high number of independent MPs (18) at the current Riigikogu makes this contingent significant too.
Madise has been justice chancellor, a role which oversees the fair working of the principles of the Constitution and of human rights in Estonia, since 2015.
Only one other candidate has been proposed by any of the elected parties: The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) has put forward party founder and former chair Mart Helme to run for office as head of state.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Urmet Kook
