TALLIN - Several ethnic Russian parties and some marginal ethnic Estonian organizations are attempting to draw up a joint electoral ticket for municipal elections this fall. A cooperation memorandum that would unite the majority of non-influential parties and movements into a new political force has been drawn up and ready for signatures.
According to reports, signatures for the original version of the document are expected from the Estonian United People's Party, the Russian Party in Estonia, the Union of Russian Compatriots' Associations in Estonia and the Association of Russian Citizens in Estonia.
The latter organization is headed by Vladimir Lebedev, a member of the Supreme Council who headed a hunger strike against the restoration of independence in the early 1990s.
Although Russian citizens residing in the country cannot run for local council, they are eligible to vote. In addition, support is expected from the mainly Estonian Christian People's Party, the Estonian Left Party, a force on good terms with European Communists, the Estonian Movement for Freedom and even the Railway Engineers' Trade Union.
According to the memorandum, the heart of the electoral bloc would be the "Electoral Initiatives Center," and according to the Russian language daily MK Estonia, the paid electoral technologist working there is Sergei Petinov, another member of the former Supreme Council who went on hunger strike together with Lebedev.
Meanwhile, the Eesti Paevaleht daily asked whether the project could be financed from Russia.
Tiit Toomsalu, head of the Left Party, does not regard the participation of people who once fought against Estonian independence to be of relevance any longer.
Dmitri Klenksi, a non-party member of the Center faction in the Tallinn City Council, admitted he had thought about joining the new initiative. He said he hoped the new ticket could solve the Russian issue.
The most prominent Russian-speaking Centrist politician, Mikhail Stalnukhin, presumed that a possible influence behind the effort could be Yevgeni Tomberg from the Estonian United People's Party or Maardu Mayor Georgi Bystrov. "There has been talk about [an electoral bloc] in connection with all the recent elections, but they always start dividing the bear's hide a bit too early," Stalnukhin said.
