TALLINN 's Negotiations on the formation of a new government were in full throttle Wednesday, with all indications pointing to the president giving the green light to a Reform Party-led Cabinet.
The Reform Party, led by outgoing Communications Minister Andrus Ansip, held meeting with Res Publica and Pro Patria officials on Wednesday afternoon.
Res Publica, the power led by Prime Minister Juhan Parts, announced the same day that a bloc of right-wing forces would be a reasonable coalition. The outgoing Res Publica party were stung by the Reformists earlier this month when the coalition partners voted to oust a Res Publica minister for a shoddy anti-corruption program.
Together the Reformists, Res Publica and Pro Patria Union would form a coalition further to the right than the outgoing one.
A Res Publica spokesman did not wish to say which party Res Publica would like to see as leader of the right-wing forces' bloc. "At present the ball is in the hands of Reform Party chairman Andrus Ansip," he said. "But it is all subject to negotiations."
Meanwhile, the Center Party, which is also participating in talks, has adopted raising the base amount and the annual factor of pensions as one of its pre-conditions for joining any coalition. According to the party's plans, the base amount of the pensions should rise by 250 kroons (15.97 euros) after indexation and the annual pension insurance factor by 2.26 kroons.
