Eesti in brief - 2012-03-08

The Estonian government approved on March 1 and sent to the Riigikogu a draft law that gives foreign citizens the right to be relieved of their conditional punishment, or be released from prison early, if they leave Estonia voluntarily, reports National Broadcasting. The departure agreements are accompanied by a 5-10 year entry ban to the country. The right is expanded on people who have some other state’s citizenship, but not on those who are accused of or convicted of serious crimes against the state, like terrorism. Interior Minister Ken-Marti Vaher said that the aim of the changes is to facilitate The reduction of the number of criminals in Estonia and thus, increases safety in the state.

The Estonian State Puppet Theater in Tallinn has scheduled a special program to celebrate its 60th anniversary, reports ERR. The jubilee of the Puppet Theater will take place on March 23. Every Wednesday this month, visitors will be given an opportunity to get acquainted with the theatrical production process. Tours will take guests to rehearsal rooms, the puppet-making workshop, and lighting and sound control rooms. Meet-and-greet gatherings with the actors are also part of the tour program. Both current and former staff members will gather at the theater on March 23 to take a walk down memory lane. The State Puppet Theater was founded in 1952 as the first theater for children in Estonia.

Pro Patria and Res Publica Union (PRU) chairman Urmas Reinsalu said that the party will give Defense Minister Mart Laar, who recently suffered a stroke, time for recovery and will not hurry to find a new defense minister, reports National Broadcasting. “The party will give Mart Laar time to restore his health and speculative distributions of the job are not an issue in the party now,” said Reinsalu. Laar was hospitalized due to a stroke three weeks ago. Postimees wrote on March 5 that the PRU faction might be discussing finding a temporary replacement for Laar. Education Minister Jaak Aaviksoo currently fulfils the duties of the defense ministers.