Center Party Again Dominates NGOs' Elections Hall of Shame

The dominant party in Tallinn and overall leader has now claimed the top spot in three out of four election Hall of Shame rankings, compiled periodically by a network of NGOs, although the Reform Party did reappear in the list.

The panel, which included sociologist Juhan Kivirähk, political scientist Mari-Liis Jakobson and Toomas Mattson from the National Audit Office, assessed campaign methods on a scale from 1 to 5, with 5 being the worst.

4th place: Reform Party party for pensioners – 2.8 points
A party for pensioners that took place in the same building as a polling station in Kuressaare was funded by the Reform Party, with speeches by former and current majors, all members of the party.

tied for 2nd: 
Christmas bonus with a surprise – 3.0 points
Disabled pensioners in Narva received their 20-euro Christmas bonus early this year, with a election calendar of Center Party candidate and head of the city's social affairs department, Galina Vologdina, thrown in for free.

and 
Anonymous letter bashes Vilja Savisaar-Toomast – 3.0 points
A unnamed letter delivered to residents of Tallinn's Põhja-Tallinn district criticized the former Center Party MEP for keeping the Savisaar name after remarrying, and for not giving up her MEP seat after leaving the party.

1st place: Savisaar scares voters with tales about the right
The current mayor of Tallinn, Edgar Savisaar, said in a letter to his Lasnamäe constituency that if national Cabinet parties win the elections, they will abolish free public transport and other benefits, stop the construction of municipal housing and open the gates to price hikes.

http://news.err.ee/politics/406a2919-b50b-456e-9a85-f69fbb021ee0

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