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Parliamentary Elections 2003 PILK PEEGLISSE • GLANCE AT THE MIRROR Riigikogu valimised Parliamentary Elections 2. märtsil 2003 toimusid Eestis Riigikogu On 2 March 2003, Parliamentary elections took valimised.Valimisnimekirjadesse kanti 963 place in Estonia. The election list contained 963 kandidaati, kellest 947 kandideeris 11 erineva candidates from eleven different parties and 16 partei nimekirjas, lisaks proovis Riigikogusse independent candidates. 58.2% of eligible voters pääseda 16 üksikkandidaati. Hääletamas käis went to the polls. The Estonian Centre Party 58,2% hääleõiguslikest kodanikest. Enim hääli gained the most support of voters with 25.4% of kogus Eesti Keskerakond – 25,4%.Valimistel total votes. Res Publica – A Union for the Republic esmakordselt osalenud erakond Ühendus – who participated in the elections for the first Vabariigi Eest - Res Publica sai 24,6% häältest. time, gathered 24.6% of total votes. The parties Riigikogusse pääsesid veel Eesti Reformi- that obtained seats in the parliament were the Estonian Reform Party (17.7%), the Estonian erakond – 17,7%, Eestimaa Rahvaliit – 13,0%, People's Union (13.0%), the Pro Patria Union Isamaaliit – 7,3% ja Rahvaerakond Mõõdukad – (7.3%) and the People's Party Mõõdukad (7.0%). 7,0% Valitsuse moodustasid Res Publica, Eesti The Cabinet was formed by Res Publica, the Reformierakond ja Eestimaa Rahvaliit. Estonian Reform Party and the Estonian People's Peaministriks nimetati Res Publica esimees Union. The position of the Prime Minister went to Juhan Parts.Valitsus astus ametisse 10. aprillil Juhan Parts, chairman of Res Publica. The Cabinet 2003 ametivande andmisega Riigikogu ees. was sworn in on 10 April 2003. VALI KORD! CHOOSE ORDER! Res Publica sööst raketina Eesti poliitika- Res Publica's rocketing to the top of Estonian politics taevasse sai võimalikuks seetõttu, et suur osa was made possible by a great number of voters hääletajatest otsib üha uusi, endisest usaldus- looking for new, more reliable faces. In Estonia väärsemaid nägusid. Eestis mõjutavad hääle- voters are still influenced by memories of the Soviet tajaid veel siiani mälestused nõukogude ajast times, as well as by a certain amount of fear. In the ning isegi teatav hirm. Talvel, kui keskerakond- winter, when the Minister of Internal Affairs, a lasest siseminister kaitses nõukogude ajal member of the Centre Party, had to defend his kohtunikuna langetatud otsuseid poliitilises decisions made as a judge during the Soviet period in a politicised legal proceedings, people's memories kohtuprotsessis, tugevnesid kõikide peas vanad of the Soviet times were rekindled. The results of mälestused. Ka nendel valimistel mõjutas these elections were again influenced by Estonia's tulemusi Eesti suhe oma minevikuga. Esile ei ties to her past. Social problems, such as drug abuse tõusnud sotsiaalsed probleemid, nagu or unemployment, or the EU membership did not narkootikumid või töötus, ega ka liitumine emerge into the forefront. (HS, 4.03) ELiga. (HS, 4.03) 24 2003 RIIGIKOGU VALIMISED • PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS Valimiskampaanias on valitsuserakonnad rõhutanud oma erinevusi. Keskerakond esindab neid, keda kutsutakse Teiseks Eestiks (neid eestlasi, kes ei ole osa saanud kiirest majandus- kasvust) ning on eestkostjaks ümberjagamis- poliitika olulisusele. Samal ajal Reformierakond eesotsas Siim Kallasega peab vajalikuks panna jätkuvalt rõhku turumajanduse arengule, mis soodustab Eestit tervikuna. (DN, 3.03) Eesti valimiskampaaniat iseloomustab ülim kommerts- likkus. Ametliku informatsiooni kohaselt on kõik erakonnad kokku kulutanud valimistele üle 100 miljoni krooni, teiste andmete kohaselt aga sama palju raha kui Soome parteid enne Soome parlamendi- valimisi. Ent Eestis on viis korda vähem VALIKUTE TALUMATU RASKUS hääletajaid kui Soomes ning valimisreklaamile THE UNBEARABLE WEIGHT OF CHOICES pole mingeid piiranguid: raha eest saab osta ükskõik millist reklaami. Suurimad erakonnad In the election campaign, the cabinet parties have tellisid endale ka laulud, mille tegemisse kaasati emphasised their differences. The Centre Party tuntuimad muusikud ja luuletajad. Kõigil kuuel represents those who belong to the so-called suuremal erakonnal oli teisi erakondi Second Estonia (a term that was taken into use by naeruvääristavaid telereklaame. (Kaleva, 1.03) social scientists 2 years ago, referring to those Estonians who have not benefited from the rapid Paides pensionäridele esinev Res Publica economic growth) and is targeting the importance esimees Juhan Parts on raskustes. Partei püüab of redistribution policy. Meanwhile the Reform Party, pigem noorte hääli ja see paistab välja ka nende headed by Siim Kallas, sees the need for a continued programmist. Pensionärid ei ole samas kuigi emphasis on the progress of the free market huvitatud noorte perede toimetulekutoetusest economy, which is favourable to Estonia as a whole. või koolitusküsimustest. Partsilt küsitakse (DN, 3.03) hoopis, kas tema peaministrina tõstaks pensio- ne ja tuuakse näiteks Tallinna, kus Keskerakon- The Estonian election campaign na juhtimise all jagati pensionäridele 500 krooni jõuluraha. "Kas te olete siis nii kergesti äraoste- is characterised by extreme tavad?" küsib Juhan Parts. Pensionärid karjuvad commercialism. According to kooris, et neid saaks osta ka 200 krooni eest. (TS, 17.02) official information, all parties together have spent over 100 TTÜs algab korvpallimatsˇ. Üliõpilased mängivad meeskonna vastu, kellel kõigil on million kroons on the campaign, seljas särk kirjaga "Juhan Parts peaministriks". yet according to other data as much money as all Mängijate seas on loomulikult ka Parts ise, üks Finnish parties before the Finnish parliamentary valimiste favoriite. Paljudel Res Publica nime- elections. However, Estonia has an electoral body kirjas kandideerijatel on sarnane taust: nad on five times smaller than that of Finland and there are vanast ajast tuntud teistelt elualadelt, kuid no restrictions for election advertising: with money mitte poliitikast ning nüüd ühendab neid any kind of advertisement can be bought. Major partei, mis lubab uut poliitikat ja korda. Sügisel parties ordered songs involving well-known sai Res Publica kohalikesse omavalitsustesse, musicians and poets. All six major parties had nendelt valimistelt on oodata õige mitut kohta television commercials which ridiculed other parties. parlamendis. Enne mängu algust loetles Parts, (Kaleva, 1.03) 25 2003 PILK PEEGLISSE • GLANCE AT THE MIRROR mida tähendab uus poliitika: "Uus poliitika tä- Juhan Parts, the chairman of Res Publica, speaking hendab vastutust, osalemist, keskendumist ko- to pensioners in Paide, is in a plight. The party is danikele ning tulevikku vaatamist." (HS, 28.02) winning the votes of younger people, which can be seen from their programme. Pensioners, on the Res Publica tõusis tundmatusest suureks other hand, are not seriously interested in the üllatajaks juba sügisestel kohalikel valimistel. subsistence difficulties of young families or See on parempopulistlik partei, kes iseenda educational issues. Parts is asked if he would raise hinnangul pole ei populistlik ega ka pensions as the Prime Minister, offering Tallinn as an example – there, under the leadership of Centre parempoolne, vaid esindab uut poliitikat. Partei Party, 500 kroons was given to each pensioner as a juht Juhan Parts on endine riigikontrolör, kes Christmas present. "Can you be bought so easily?" poliitiku kohta väga napisõnaline. (HS, 4.03) asks Juhan Parts. Pensioners shout in unison that they could be bought for 200 kroons. (TS, 17.02) Res Publica edu põhjuseks A basketball match is beginning at the Tallinn võib pidada seda, et valimis- Technical University. Students are playing against kampaania jooksul pani partei a team wearing a shirt with the inscription "Juhan Parts for Prime Minister". The players include Parts suurt rõhku senise poliitika ja himself, one of the election favourites. Several poliitikute töö laitmisele. candidates in the Res Publica list have the same background: they are well known in other areas of life outside politics, and now a party promising new Juhan Parts peab oma parteid pigem konserva- politics and order unites them. In autumn, Res tiivseks kui liberaalseks. Partsi juhitud valitsuse Publica obtained seats in local municipal govern- peamisteks rõhuasetusvaldkondadeks saab ments and quite a few seats in the parliament are tehnoloogia ja uuendustel põhinev majandus- expected from these elections. Before the match poliitika, elukvaliteedi tõstmine ning võitlus Parts defined new politics: "New politics is kuritegevuse ja korruptsiooniga. (FAZ, 4.03) responsibility, participation, focusing on citizens and looking into future." (HS, 28.02) Mõnede Eesti vaatlejate sõnul on Parts liiga paindumatu, liiga tugevate seisukohtadega, Res Publica emerged as a big surprise out of the liiga iseseisev ning liiga vähe meeskonnatööd blue already in the municipal elections held in arvestav selleks, et temast saaks edukas pea- autumn. This is a right-leaning populist party who in minister. Tema imidzˇ ei vasta täielikult tege- its own opinion is neither populist nor right-leaning, likkusele: talle meeldib ennast esitleda sparta- but rather a representative of new politics. The liku ja isegi igavana. (NRC Handelsblad, 8.04) chairman of the party Juhan Parts, a former Auditor General, is very tight-lipped for a politician. (HS, 4.03) Tallinna tänavatel on plakatid, millel on ühe vuntsidega härra ja ühe prillidega härrasmehe The success of Res Publica’s vahel punane süda ja selle all kiri: "Hääleta Reformierakonda
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