Former defense chief Riho Ühtegi bows out of Estonian presidency race
One of the figures who stated they were interested in running at next month's presidential election has announced their withdrawal from the race, Postimees reported.
Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Riho Ühtegi, a former Defense League commander, was put forward as a potential candidate in early July, but has stepped down, citing health issues.
"I am withdrawing from the race for the presidency of the Republic of Estonia as this week I received confirmation of a serious health condition," Ühtegi told Postimees.
"When I had agreed to run, I set myself two factors that would have ruled out my candidacy, and one of these was my health. Unfortunately, I never imagined I would actually have to make such a decision," he added.
Ühtegi, 62, who described his worldview as broadly conservative, was proposed by five public figures: Composer Sven Grünberg, businessman Hugo Osula, entrepreneur and filmmaker Kris Taska, actor and director Hendrik Toompere, and political analyst Raivo Vare, who listed his level-headedness and strong security- and crisis-management experience as plus points.
Ühtegi had met with opposition party Isamaa in connection with a potential bid for the presidency.
Ühtegi: I don't see any strong presidential candidates emerging so far
As for who might be the next head of state, Ühtegi said he "didn't see any strong candidates" from the current field, calling them out of touch. "I have been among the people, and I know how important that truly is for the average person. Sitting in an office in Tallinn or Brussels, you can never gain that understanding," he went on.
Ühtegi said ordinary people have become disillusioned with the state. "Estonia's main problems are a divided society, security challenges, and our future," he added, pointing to a lack of certainty.
"Will we still exist as a nation and a state? Those are the questions we need to be thinking about today," he added.
To run, a candidate must give their consent, while a majority of at least 68 votes in the 101-seat Riigikogu is needed to get elected. If three rounds of voting draw a blank, the process moves to the 208-member regional electoral college.
The formal presidential candidate nomination process runs August 21-24, while the Riigikogu ballots are scheduled for September 2-3.
Current head of state Alar Karis is not seeking a second term.
Editor's note: This article was updated to include further comment from Ühtegi.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
