(5 Mar 2023)
FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4422678
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tallinn - 5 March 2023
1. People registering for Estonian parliamentary elections
HEADLINE: Ukraine, economy top the agenda in Estonia vote
2. Woman registering
3. Mid of people voting
4. Man approaching the voting box
ANNOTATION: Over 900,000 people were eligible to cast ballots Sunday to pick representatives to Estonia’s 101-seat Parliament.
5. Man casting ballot
6. Various of people registering and voting
ANNOTATION: National security and social-economic issues, particularly the rising cost of living, have been the main themes of the election.
7. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Oskar Vanem, Estonian voter: (++BEGINS OVER PREVIOUS SHOT++)
“I expect changes after these elections. The excise tax on fuel should drop. We shouldn’t pay so much for heating, petrol and gas.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tallinn - 1 March 2023
8. Various of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas voting online on laptop
ANNOTATION: Incumbent Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, the leader of the center-right liberal Reform Party, is tipped to win a second term.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tallinn - 5 March 2023
9. Various of the head of the Estonian Conservative Party (EKRE), Martin Helme, voting
ANNOTATION: Her main challenger is Martin Helme, the head of the nationalist far-right EKRE party.
ANNOTATION: He faults Kallas for the country’s high inflation rate and accuses her of undermining Estonia’s defenses by giving weapons to Ukraine.
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Martin Helme, Head of the Estonian Conservative Party (EKRE):
"We've never questioned support for Ukraine, we've never questioned Estonian membership in NATO. That's just crazy talk. But what we have been very critical of (is) the government, because they have not assessed the risk to Estonia and to Estonian security and defence. We have basically given away all our heavy weaponry to Ukraine and the replacement comes within two or three years. Now that is... basically, that is an invitation of aggression."
11. Man casting ballot
ANNOTATION: Nearly half of Estonians voted in advance. Preliminary election results are expected by early Monday.
STORYLINE:
Voters in Estonia cast ballots on Sunday in a parliamentary election that the centre-right Reform Party of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, one of Europe’s most outspoken supporters of Ukraine, was considered a favorite to win.
Kallas faces a challenge from the far-right populist EKRE party, which seeks to limit the Baltic nation's exposure to the Ukraine crisis and blames the current government for Estonia's high inflation rate.
Kallas, 45, became prime minister in 2021 and has emerged as one of Europe’s most outspoken supporters of Ukraine during the year-long war.
She is seeking a second term, with her standing enhanced by her international appeals to impose sanctions on Moscow.
A Baltic nation of 1.3 million people that borders Russia to the east, Estonia broke away from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has taken a clear Western course, joining NATO and the European Union.
Polls indicated Kallas’ party was likely to win the most votes in Sunday's election.
EKRE party leader Martin Helme, the prime minister's main challenger, faults Kallas for the country’s inflation rate of 18.6%, one of the EU’s highest, and accuses her of undermining Estonia’s defenses by giving weapons to Ukraine.
Kallas argues it’s in her country’s interests to help Kyiv.
Over 900,000 people were eligible to vote in the general election, and nearly half voted in advance.
Preliminary election results are expected by early Monday.
Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ]
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]
You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
