Uibo says Pevkur should not continue as defence minister

Toomas Uibo, chairman of the Eesti 200 parliamentary faction, said he personally sees no way for Hanno Pevkur to continue as defence minister in light of problems in the defence sector, ERR reported.

Speaking on the television programme Terevisioon on Wednesday, Uibo said he had read an Eesti Ekspress report whose contents he found extremely disturbing and embarrassing.

“Things should not and must not be handled this way in Estonia. I very much hope that the Reform Party will make swift decisions and take responsibility,” Uibo said.

Whether that responsibility means the minister’s resignation or something else is for the Reform Party to decide, he said. “But my personal position is that if the facts reported by the media are true, then I personally do not see how the defence minister can continue as minister,” Uibo said.

Uibo’s comments are significant because he represents a coalition party. On Tuesday, the leaders of two opposition parties, Lauri Läänemets of the Social Democratic Party and Urmas Reinsalu of Isamaa, expressed a similar view.