Estonia: 59 MPs nominate Alar Karis for president

TALLINN - On Friday, 59 members of the Riigikogu nominated Alar Karis as the candidate for the president of Estonia in the first round of voting in the Riigikogu, which will take place on Monday, Aug. 30, starting at 1 p.m.

Alar Karis, born on March 26, 1958, is an Estonian citizen by birth and has confirmed his consent to run for president. Karis was nominated by all 25 members of the Center Party group and all 34 members of the Reform Party group.

Candidates can be submitted until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28. The National Electoral Committee will meet at 5 p.m. on Sunday to register candidates. 

Karis, a native of Tartu, is an Estonian molecular geneticist and developmental biologist, who embarked on an academic career after graduating from the veterinary department of the Estonian University of Life Sciences and became professor in 1999. He served as rector of the Estonian University of Life Sciences from 2003-2007 and as rector of the University of Tartu from 2007-2012. He was appointed Estonia's auditor general in March 2013 and, after completing his tenure, as director of the Estonian National Museum in October 2017.