Jaak Aab to miss Estonia’s presidential election first round

Social Democratic Party MP Jaak Aab will not take part in the first round of Estonia’s presidential election on Wednesday because his flight schedule was changed and he will not reach the Riigikogu in time, ERR reported.

Aab had signed a letter of support for presidential candidate Ülle Madise. The Social Democratic Party’s communications chief said he still supports Madise, but the flight change was made independently of him and prevents him from voting in the first round.

Vilja Toomast, who also signed a letter of support for Madise, previously said she would not take part because she was in France attending her child’s wedding.

Madise’s candidacy was endorsed by 75 Riigikogu members. A candidate needs the support of at least 68 MPs to be elected by parliament.

At the start of the Riigikogu’s extraordinary sitting, 89 MPs registered as present and 12 were absent. In addition to Aab and Toomast, Arvo Aller, Rain Epler, Mart Helme, Martin Helme, Helle-Moonika Helme, Siim Pohlak, Evelin Poolamets, Anti Poolamets, Jaak Valge and Varro Vooglaid were not in the chamber.

Earlier on Wednesday, Anti Poolamets, an MP from the Conservative People’s Party of Estonia, said the party’s MPs would not enter the chamber. Rene Kokk, another party MP, nevertheless registered as present at the start of the extraordinary sitting.

Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart of the Centre Party parliamentary group said the party’s seven MPs would attend the presidential election in the chamber but would not collect voting ballots.