Aleksei Jevgrafov, former mayor of Narva and member of Reform during the early 2000s, is in talks about standing as a candidate for the Center Party in the upcoming Riigikogu elections.
Attempts on the part of the Center Party to overthrow Katri Raik as mayor of Narva after only for months in office show how incapacitated and self-harming the party continues to be in its activities in Ida-Viru County, journalist Erik Gamzejev found, while appearing on Vikerraadio's daily comment.
EKRE has found a promising breeding ground for their conservative worldview with people in northeastern Estonia enjoying the directness of the party s leading politicians and Mart Helme, in particular, who some in the region liken to Edgar Savisaar, ETV s AK.Nädal reported on Sunday.
Local elections are looming and things seem different in Narva this year. Traditionally, the group who holds power in the city tends to keep it as schools, kindergartens and municipal companies are strong vote-generators.
But there seems to be a new contender in town to go with Center s stable dominance in the region. The local Russian voter is attracted by the Conservative People s Party of Estonia (EKRE).
Leading Center Party politicians have still not found a consensus on whether or not the party should allow former Narva mayor Aleksei Jevgrafov, along with many city council members, into the party. Narva has been in the midst of political limbo since fall, which is being amplified as the number of COVID-19 cases in the region continues to grow.
Center Party deputy chairman Jaanus Karilaid told ETV s Aktuaalne kaamera on Wednesday that according to the coalition agreement signed by Center s political group and electoral bloc Meie Narva, Center Party would receive the position of chairman of the city council and Social Democrat MP Katri Raik would become mayor. The two blocs hold 17 of the 31-seat council s votes.
0 >Irina Janovitš awarding Aleksei Jevgrafov with the official chain of Mayor of Narva. Source: Sergei Stepanov/ERR
Previously ousted Mayor of Narva Aleksei Jevgrafov, along with 13 other members of the Kodulinn Narva ( Hometown Narva ) political group in Narva have joined the Center Party, restoring the party s power in the city after an attempted power shift by opposition group Meie Narva ( Our Narva ).
The recent development now casts considerable doubt over the possibility of creating a new coalition in the city of Narva as a combination of the Meie Narva opposition group, led by Social Democrat MP Katri Raik, and the currently in power Center Party.