Presidential election in Estonia 2006

The social democrat Toomas Hendrik Ilves (left) was able to prevail over incumbent Arnold Rüütel (right) in the 2006 presidential election with a narrow majority

The 2006 presidential elections in Estonia took place in Parliament on August 28th and 29th and in a special electoral assembly on September 23rd. In the election, the Social Democratic MEP and former Foreign Minister Toomas Hendrik Ilves surprisingly prevailed against incumbent Arnold Rüütel .

Electoral process

The electoral procedure is regulated in Section 79 of the Estonian Constitution and in the Law on the Election of the President ( Vabariigi Presidendi valimise seadus ).

After that, the parliament ( Riigikogu ) is first called upon to elect the president. At least 68 votes of the 101 members of the Estonian Parliament (two-thirds majority) are required for the election.

If an election by the MPs fails in three ballots, the President of Parliament calls a special election meeting ( valimiskogu ). It consists of 101 members of parliament and at that time 244 electorates, who were sent by the local authorities (towns and cities).

The election takes place in secret.

houses of Parliament

As expected, there was no election of the President in Parliament in three ballots in 2006.

The MPs of the People's Union ( Rahvaliit ), whose chairman Arnold Rüütel (* 1928) was before his election as President, and the Center Party ( Keskerakond ) did not take part in the parliamentary election for tactical reasons. Their goal was to secure a majority for the incumbent President Arnold Rüütel in the election meeting to be called after three failed ballots.

In the first round of parliamentary elections, the only candidate to run for office was President Ene Ergma (* 1944) from the conservative Isamaa ja Res Publica Liit . It received 65 yes votes and thus missed the required majority.

In the second and third round, the Social Democrat Toomas Hendrik Ilves (* 1953) was the only candidate . Ilves received 64 votes each. One vote was invalid.

The right to vote was thus passed on to the electoral assembly.

Electoral assembly

The electoral assembly convened by the President of Parliament met on September 23, 2006 in the Estonia Opera and Concert Hall in Tallinn .

Toomas Hendrik Ilves stood against the incumbent President Arnold Rüütel in the election meeting. Toomas Hendrik Ilves received 174 votes in a secret ballot, while Arnold Rüütel received 162 votes. Nine ballot papers were invalid.

Toomas Hendrik Ilves was thus elected with a narrow majority of two votes as the third President of the Republic of Estonia after Estonian regained independence. He took office on October 9, 2006 when he was sworn in before Parliament.

Web links

• Website of the Estonian Electoral Commission (English)

Individual evidence

1. ^ German translation of the constitutional text
2. ↑ Text version in English