Kallas resigns, convenes parliament to vote on new coalition

Riga, Latvia, Jul 14 (EFE).- Estonia’s prime minister Kaja Kallas tendered her resignation and that of her entire government on Thursday.

In a statement posted on her social media, she said she would “convene an extraordinary parliament sitting on Friday” where she will request a mandate to form a new government.

Kallas, who also is chairperson of the liberal Reform Party, presented the resignations to president Alar Karis, who asked her to form a new government.

Kallas also announced the resignation of her government to the Estonian Parliament, and convened an extraordinary session Friday to present her new government and ask for a vote of approval of the new coalition of her Reform Party, the conservative Isamaa or Fatherland Party, and the Social Democratic Party.

Since firing seven ministers on June 3, Kallas has been leading a minority government and holding talks to form a new coalition that ended with an agreement in principle between the three parties last week.

Kallas dismissed the seven ministers in her coalition government in a shakeup precipitated by a dispute over a family benefits policy that had been brewing for weeks. The new government will evenly divide the 15 ministerial posts among the Reform, Isamaa and Social Democratic parties.

Assuming parliament approves the new government, as is expected, it could begin its work as early as next week. EFE

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