Estonia Moves to Ban Russian and Belarusian Residents from Voting in Local Elections

Estonia's coalition government announced plans on Monday, Nov. 4, to amend the constitution to prevent Russian and Belarusian residents from voting in next year’s municipal elections. The move aims to safeguard against potential interference from Moscow and Minsk.

The decision could affect over 80,000 Russian citizens currently holding residence permits in Estonia, a Baltic nation of 1.3 million people that declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and includes a significant Russian-speaking community.

"We agreed in the coalition council to recommend our parliamentary groups urgently amend the constitution so that citizens of aggressor states will no longer have a say in local elections," Prime Minister Kristen Michal told state broadcaster ERR

At present, permanent residents of Estonia have the constitutional right to vote in local elections in their districts.

However, since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, various political parties have supported excluding Russians, Belarusians, and stateless individuals from voting due to concerns over potential foreign influence.

Helir-Valdor Seeder, head of the Isamaa (Fatherland) parliamentary faction, stated that the coalition hopes to make the changes swiftly, ensuring citizens of "aggressor states" and stateless persons cannot vote in the municipal elections scheduled for October 2024.

A draft amendment could be ready for consideration as early as Thursday.

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