Early announcement of parliament director candidate sparks dispute

ERR reported a dispute in the Riigikogu board on Wednesday after the parliament’s office announced Heddi Lutterus as its candidate for director. Deputy Speaker Toomas Kivimägi said Speaker Lauri Hussar had disclosed her name too soon.

Kivimägi said the board had agreed that some parliamentary groups wanted more time to discuss the candidate and could give feedback until Monday. The board was then expected to decide on Tuesday and announce the name afterward. “We were crowing before the egg was laid,” he said.

He said the board’s decision had been unanimous and suggested Hussar might have feared that a parliamentary group would leak the name if it was not announced immediately. Hussar, who was abroad, told ERR that the board had put forward a candidate for discussion by the Council of Elders. He said timely communication would inform MPs, office staff and the public and prevent rumours and speculation. In a large organisation, he added, it was not possible to withhold important information for a week once dozens of people knew it.

Kivimägi said four candidates had been interviewed. Three had what he described as conservative views, while Lutterus was bold and forward-looking. He called her a strong-willed leader, a quality he considered an advantage, though he said it could lead to conflict. The other finalist was the parliament office’s current director, Antero Habicht.

Kivimägi said the board did not discuss the controversy earlier this year over Habicht’s dismissal of long-serving official Piia Schults. Habicht had accused Schults of being responsible for an error in a bill on remote gambling tax, failing to inform him about it and giving an interview to Eesti Ekspress. The dismissal drew public attention. Kivimägi said the issue had not influenced his or Arvo Aller’s assessment of the candidates, and that it had concerned Hussar most.

Habicht declined to comment on his candidacy, citing confidentiality while the competition was ongoing.