Narva, Estonia: a tale of two mayors
Katri Raik, the long-time mayor of the Estonian border town of Narva, now faces competition. The opposition parties Centre Party and Plan B elected a new mayor from their ranks during a city council meeting on Monday. Centre Party member Jaan Toots has already set up office in City Hall, although the legality of the move remains unclear.
Absurd political theater
Põhjarannik's editor-in-chief Erik Gamzejev laments the indifference of voters and political parties:
“The political chaos in Narva has now resulted in a situation of dual governance. This is a wake-up call for Narva's voters in particular, but also for the majority of Estonia's political parties. The 31 city councillors did not land in Narva in a UFO. ... They became the people's representatives through the will of local voters. A situation like this can only arise when Estonian parliamentary parties – with the exception of the Center Party – show no interest in participating in the local politics of Estonia's third-largest city. ... This is what happens when swathes of Narva residents can't be bothered to go to the polls or sell their votes for ten euros to candidates they don't even know.”
Take a cue from Italy
Postimees proposes dissolving the local government in the border town:
“In 1991, Italy passed a law allowing the central government to dissolve a local government if there is reasonable suspicion that it has ceased to function and has fallen under criminal control. Since then, the state has dissolved over 300 local administrations. ... In our own regional centre, Narva, local politics has been a sham for over 30 years. The city administration is dysfunctional, votes from voters and city council members are bought, and the city is falling into disrepair. ... Isn't it time to follow the Italian model – dissolve the Narva City Council, get the city back on track, and eventually, once corruption has been sufficiently curbed, return power to the people of Narva?”