1990 Estonian Supreme Soviet election

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Elections to the Supreme Soviet were held in the

Communist Party member Arnold Rüütel
as its chairman, allowing him to stay as the nominal leader of Estonia (real powers mostly lay with the prime minister).

The elected parliament made some of the most important decisions in the modern Estonian history, such as the on 30 March 1990 declaration of a period of transition to restore full independence from the Soviet Union, and the 20 August 1991 declaration to confirm the restoration of the country's full independence.

Electoral system

Members of the Supreme Soviet were elected in 42 single-member or multi-member constituencies. In the former constituencies deputies were elected by

first-past-the-post vote, while in the latter deputies were elected by single transferable vote.[4]

The local elections three months earlier, in December 1989, were also held under STV, and served as a dress rehearsal[5] with the electoral law finally enacted on 4 December 1989.[6]

The choice of STV was the result of a debate on voting systems led by the influential Estonian political scientist and émigré Rein Taagepera, who penned articles in Edasi in 1988, published Seats and Votes in 1989, and gave conferences on the topic. STV was not, however, Taagepera's own preference, but was rather the result of a consensus driven by Peet Kask between the outgoing Communist local officials, who sought a system that favored their popular names over their unpopular party brand, and the principle of proportional representation favored by the new parties.[5]

Apportionment

The seats allocated were distributed as such:[6]

Type of district Number Total members Districts
5-seat districts 3 15 1 - Tallinn
9 - Kohtla-Järve
36 - Rakvere
4-seat districts 5 20 5 - Tallinn
6 - Tallinn
27 - Jõgeva
41 - Viljandi
42 - Võru
3-seat districts 13 39 2, 7, 8 - Tallinn
21, 22 - Tartu
23 - Haapsalu
25 - Harju
28 - Kingissep
29 - Kohtla-Järve
30 - Paide
31 - Polva
37 - Rapla
40 - Valga
2-seat districts 6 12 4 - Tallinn
15 - Pärnu
24 - Harju
26 - Hiiumaa
38 - Tartu
39 - Tartu
1-seat districts 15 15 3 - Tallinn
10, 11, 12, 13, 14 - Narva
16, 17 - Pärnu
18, 19, 20 - Sillamäe
32, 33, 34, 35 - Pärnu
Soviet Armed Forces 4 4
Total 46 105
List of districts
  • 1 - Tallinn (5)
  • 2 - Tallinn (3)
  • 3 - Tallinn (1)
  • 4 - Tallinn (2)
  • 5 - Tallinn (4)
  • 6 - Tallinn (4)
  • 7 - Tallinn (3)
  • 8 - Tallinn (3)
  • 9 - Kohtla-Järve (5)
  • 10 - Narva (1)
  • 11 - Narva (1)
  • 12 - Narva (1)
  • 13 - Narva (1)
  • 14 - Narva (1)
  • 15 - Pärnu (2)
  • 16 - Pärnu (1)
  • 17 - Pärnu (1)
  • 18 - Sillamäe (1)
  • 19 - Sillamäe (1)
  • 20 - Sillamäe (1)
  • 21 - Tartu (3)
  • 22 - Tartu (3)
  • 23 - Haapsalu (3)
  • 24 - Harju (2)
  • 25 - Harju (3)
  • 26 - Hiiumaa (2)
  • 27 - Jõgeva (4)
  • 28 - Kingissep (3)
  • 29 - Kohtla-Järve (3)
  • 30 - Paide (3)
  • 31 - Polva (3)
  • 32 - Pärnu (1)
  • 33 - Pärnu (1)
  • 34 - Pärnu (1)
  • 35 - Pärnu (1)
  • 36 - Rakvere (5)
  • 37 - Rapla (3)
  • 38 - Tartu (2)
  • 39 - Tartu (2)
  • 40 - Valga (3)
  • 41 - Viljandi (4)
  • 42 - Võru (4)

Results

PartyVotes%Seats
Popular Front of Estonia43
Communist Party of EstoniaFree Estonia27
Joint Soviet of Work Collectives25
Independents10
Total105
Total votes911,203
Registered voters/turnout1,164,60378.24
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, VVK[7]

See also

References