Hendrik tops Estonian presidential poll

  • 2006-06-05
  • TBT staff

TALLINN - A newspaper poll has ranked Toomas Hendrik Ilves as the most popular Estonian presidential candidate.
Ilves, a Social Democrat who represents Estonia in the European Parliament, was found to be more popular than current president Arnold Ruutel and the controversial Centre Party leader Edgar Savisaar.
The poll, published in the daily newspaper Eesti Paevaleht, found Ilves would win 36 percent of the vote, ahead of Ruutel at 24 percent and Savisaar at 11 percent.
Most of Ilves support base would come from ethnic Estonians, while non-Estonians favor Ruutel.
Ruutel has yet to announce whether he will contest the elections, due to be held in Spring. He is expected to make an announcement in two weeks, ahead of a board meeting of his party, the People's Union.