Estonia: Ossinovski, Haukanomm, Pilvre named SDE's top candidates in 3 Tallinn districts

TALLINN – The top three candidates of the election list of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) in the city center, Lasnamae and Pirita districts of Tallinn are party chairman Jevgeni Ossinovski, Monika Haukanomm and Barbi Pilvre.

Fittingly for the most diverse region, the election list compiled from representatives of various communities has also turned out diverse with women making up over half of the list, SDE spokespeople said.

"In the most diverse of electoral districts, we have also drawn up a very diverse list. We have a lot of people running for the first time as well as seasoned politicians, both Estonian and Russian-speaking candidates. Among the candidates are experts of the field of culture, spokespeople for people with disabilities, urban communities and LGBT people. Namely with this kind of diverse team of men and women we will stand for what is important to us, that is the freedoms and opportunities of everyone," SDE leader Ossinovski said in a press release.

"We have a large number of people whose voice remains weak when standing up for themselves and who feel that the state has forgotten them. My stance is that we as a country have now come so far that people with fewer opportunities -- people with disabilities, the elderly and families with many children -- must no longer be left without the necessary support," chairman of the management board of the Estonian Chamber of Disabled People and MP Monika Haukanomm, who left the Free Party in November, said.

Pilvre justified her candidacy with the increasing disdain and belittling distinction between various groups of the society deepening in the Estonian society. "I will stand to ensure that everyone in Estonia retains the possibility of freely thinking, speaking and being as they wish," Pilvre said.

Others running on the party's list in the Tallinn city center, Lasnamae and Pirita districts include lawyer and motorcycle road racer Anastassia Kovalenko, writer Andrei Hvostov, spokesperson for urban communities Madle Lippus, writer Karl-Martin Sinijarv, environmental expert Krista Kampus, executive arm of the Estonian LGBT Association Kristel Rannaaare, lawyer and former journalist Kirill Klaus, clinical psychologist Mihhail Beljajev and writer Maimu Berg.

The anchor candidate of the SDE's list in those districts is seasoned politician and theater director Jaak Allik, who will be running in his birthplace for the first time in these upcoming elections.