‘Witch hunt’ ends Kallas’ candidacy

The Estonian Reform Party's prime ministerial candidate, Siim Kallas, announced today, March 12 after a meeting of the Reform Party board that he will give up plans to form Estonia's next government, reports Postimees Online.

"The reason is that the witch-hunt that has started against me will never end. I gave up forming the government, I will not be the one who forms the new government," said Kallas.

Kallas said that a prime minister and party chairman cannot work if he and his aides have to constantly explain old deeds. "I considered it right that the new prime minister should not have such baggage. It would be a burden for the government as well as the coalition partner and the party," said Kallas.

He added that he has decided to continue his work in the European Commission. "The Reform Party is holding new talks and there will be a government in the lead of another and certainly a very good person," he said.

The Reform Party board will discuss presenting a new possible prime ministerial candidate later today.

Kallas is currently European Transport Commissioner and honorary chairman of the Reform Party. Ever since he was proposed as the next prime ministerial candidate after the resignation of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, there has been a string of articles in the press about a possible 100 million dollar guarantee that supposedly was issued in 1994 by Estonia's central bank Eesti Pank at the time when Kallas was the governor of the central bank. Kallas has said it was probably just a working document during very complicated times for the state, that was never used and thus caused no real financial obligations.