On the morning of Tuesday, the 26th of March, Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart received a vote of no-confidence, which passed with 41 votes in a meeting of the 79-member Tallinn City Council. A majority of 40 votes was needed to dismiss the mayor, reports Estonian media ERR.
The meeting was held in extraordinary session in the Tallinn City Council Chamber. The vote marks the end of almost 20 years of Centre Party domination of the Tallinn city government.
The Council then voted for a new Mayor and elected Madle Lippus (SDE), who until now served as Deputy Mayor, as the new Acting Mayor by a narrow majority of 40 votes.
The motion of no-confidence in Kõlvart was initially tabled by 37 city councillors at last Thursday’s meeting on the 21st of March and signed by members of four opposition parties: the Reform Party, Isamaa, the Estonian Conservative People’s Party (EKRE) and Eesti 200. Independent MPs Tõnis Mölder and Taavi Aass, as well as Igor Gräzin, from the Centre Party faction, also signed the draft.
Conservative deputy Urmas Espenberg told ERR that he voted against Kõlvart’ reappointment, citing it as a symbolic vote of no-confidence in the “Russian” government in Tallinn.
The Centre Party has governed Tallinn since November 2005 and has been led by Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart since September last year. Under his leadership, the transition to the party’s “Russian” faction took place, prompting several prominent members to leave the party.
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Tallinn mayor ousted in no-confidence vote
