On the motion of the Constitutional Committee as leading committee the first reading of the Bill on Amendments to the European Parliament Election Act (937 SE), initiated by the Estonian Reform Party Faction, Estonian Centre Party Faction and Estonian People’s Union Faction, was concluded. The purpose of the amendment to the Act is to carry out the election to the European Parliament using the method of closed candidate lists. Pursuant to the Bill, at the election of the European Parliament voters would give their vote either to a political party (but not to a concrete candidate on the list) or to an independent candidate. As the votes will be given to the list of candidates of a political party as a whole, the Bill does not provide for re-ranking of the candidates according to the number of received votes. The candidates will be elected according to the order determined by the political party and the number of mandates received by the list. The Riigikogu did not support the motion by the Social Democratic Party Faction, Res Publica Faction and the Isamaaliit Faction, not to conclude the first reading of the Bill.
On the motion of the Constitutional Committee as leading committee the Bill on Amendments to the Local Government Councils Election Act, Riigikogu Election Act and European Parliament Election Act (934 SE), initiated by the Isamaaliit Faction and Res Publica Faction, was rejected at the first reading. 55 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 31 members of the Riigikogu against it. The Bill was withdrawn from legislative proceeding.
On the motion of the Constitutional Committee as leading committee the Bill on Amendments to § 19 of the Anti-corruption Act (890 SE), initiated by the Res Publica Faction and Isamaaliit Faction, was rejected at the first reading. 48 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 35 members of the Riigikogu against it. The Bill was withdrawn from legislative proceeding.
On the motion of the Centre Party Faction, the Bill on Amendments to the Pre-school Child Care Institutions Act, Vocational Educational Institutions Act and Basic Schools and Upper Secondary Schools Act (938 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Faction and Members of the Riigikogu Peeter Kreitzberg, Sven Mikser, Mark Soosaar and Liina Tõnisson, was withdrawn from legislative proceeding at the first reading. 46 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 18 members of the Riigikogu against it.
On the motion of the Finance Committee as leading committee, the Bill on Amendments to the Income Tax Act (922 SE), initiated by the Social Democratic Faction, was rejected at the first reading. 51 members of the Riigikogu voted in favour of the motion and 19 members of the Riigikogu against it. The Bill was withdrawn from legislative proceeding.
The Riigikogu Press Service