Election campaign enters final stretch

TALLINN - Nearly every third Estonian voter and every other voter in Estonia’s capital Tallinn promises to vote for the Center Party at the upcoming local municipality elections, reports Public Broadcasting.

A poll conducted by TNS Emor and commissioned by Public Broadcasting indicates that across Estonia, the Center Party would collect 32 percent, the Reform Party 13 percent and Pro Patria and Res Publica Party (PRU) 13 percent and the Social Democratic Party 11 percent of votes in the local municipality elections.

The poll of 1,076 people in October indicates that 29 percent of the voters would vote for a local election union or an independent candidate. Sixteen percent of voters have no clear preference yet.

In Tallinn, 50 percent of the polled would vote for the Center Party. Different from parliamentary elections, where only citizens can cast votes, at local municipality elections also non-citizens can cast votes. PRU, which has mounted an extensive election campaign in Tallinn, was supported by 20 percent of the voters, the Social Democrats were supported by 15 percent, the Reform Party by 8 percent. Just 7 percent of the voters would vote for a local election union or an independent candidate.

The most popular candidate for the post of mayor of Tallinn is current mayor, Center Party chairman Edgar Savisaar with 39 percent of the votes in the city. PRU candidate Eerik-Niiles Kross gathered the support of 15 percent of voters. The candidate for the Social Democrats Andres Anvelt was supported by 5 percent and Reform Party candidate Valdo Randpere by 4 percent.

Local municipality elections take place on Oct. 20.