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President Ilves: I do hope that everyone will make suggestions for strengthening democracy over the coming months
21.11.2012
At today's meeting of third sector representatives, parliamentary parties and political experts, convened by the President of the Republic, a joint decision was forged to make suggestions for modification in the spheres, listed below, by spring, involving all the stakeholders and interested parties:
· integrity and controllability of the funding of political parties, including diminishing the importance of financial leverage in the political decision making process;
· integrity and viability of competition between and within political parties;
· the weight of votes given by the electorate in decisions regarding election results;
· the honest involvement of citizens and more extensive participation in political processes during the period between consecutive elections;
· halting (enforced) politization and establishing links to political parties in social space.
Those present decided that the process should be launched immediately and led under the auspices of the President of the Republic while the practical implementation should be the task of the Estonian Cooperation Assembly.
"We have all demonstrated that we can be seated around the same table and we share a common problem, common responsibility," told the President, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, after the meeting.
"To overcome the crisis of trust and communication and to reach solutions, we must first learn to listen to each other again, to talk to each other, regard each other and also apologise, if required. Today's event proved that this is possible," said President Ilves, in acknowledging the professional discussion.
He assured that Estonia is a parliamentary state and today's round table does not represent the establishment of an alternative institution of power, rather a place where a search for solutions will be initiated, involving representatives from the Parliament.
Estonian Public Broadcasting company gave a web-based broadcast of the meeting.
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