Kunnas says opposition will decide defence committee chair

Unaffiliated Estonian MP Leo Kunnas says the opposition will determine whether he becomes chair of the parliament’s National Defence Committee, ERR reported. The opposition holds a majority on the 11-member committee.

Reform Party secretary Kristo Enn Vaga, who also serves on the committee, told Postimees that Kunnas, a former member of the Estonian Conservative People’s Party faction, had been considered for the chairmanship.

“I am grateful to Vaga for the support he has expressed publicly, but my possible election as chair does not depend on him,” Kunnas said.

He said the result would depend primarily on whether the opposition wanted to nominate him and was satisfied with his work. The governing coalition could not influence the outcome because it lacks enough votes, he added.

After Meelis Kiili and Kalev Stoicescu left their party factions, the coalition became a minority in parliament with 50 votes. The committee now has five coalition members and six opposition members.

Kunnas said it was highly likely that the coalition’s representation in parliament would decline further in the coming months. He did not rule out the coalition seeking his support in other votes and backing his appointment as committee chair in return.

“The coalition may need the support of unaffiliated MPs, but the question is what it would have to offer them,” Kunnas said.

He said the committee was discussing five important bills submitted by its members in the spring. They include restoring military pensions, establishing a defence court and turning the Defence Forces Intelligence Centre into a security authority.

“Before we can talk about any cooperation, I have a question for coalition members: would they be prepared to support these bills?” Kunnas said.

Kunnas wants several presidential candidates

Kunnas also said he was prepared to support the nomination of Tiit Land, rector of Tallinn University of Technology, as a presidential candidate. After a meeting between Land and unaffiliated MPs on Friday, Land said Kunnas had promised to sign his nomination petition.

Kunnas said voters should be able to choose between at least two presidential candidates.

“In a democratic country like Estonia, an election with only one candidate would simply not be appropriate,” he said. “That is why I am working to ensure that at least two reasonable candidates are nominated.”

For Kunnas, the key question is how the candidates see their role as the supreme commander of national defence in the current security situation and how they are prepared to fulfil that role.

He said he also planned to hear from presidential candidate Ülle Madise, whom unaffiliated MPs were due to meet on Monday. Kunnas said he would make his final decision after the candidates had completed the next stage and been formally nominated.

He said the thorough public assessment of the candidates was necessary so that members of parliament, members of the electoral college and the public would know exactly who was standing for election.