Former defense chief Riho Ühtegi bows out of Estonian presidency race
Retired Maj. Gen. Riho Ühtegi, former commander of the Estonian Defense League, has dropped out of the upcoming presidential election due to a serious health condition. He had been one of the potential candidates in the race.
Riho Ühtegi, a retired major general and former commander of the Estonian Defense League, has announced he is withdrawing from next month's presidential election. According to Postimees, Ühtegi cited a serious health condition as the reason for his decision.
'I am withdrawing from the race for the presidency of the Republic of Estonia as this week I received confirmation of a serious health condition,' Ühtegi told Postimees. When he agreed to run, he said he had set two factors that would rule out his candidacy, and one was his health. 'Unfortunately, I never imagined I would actually have to make such a decision,' he added.
Ühtegi, 62, describes his worldview as broadly conservative. In early July, he was put forward by five public figures: composer Sven Grünberg, businessman Hugo Osula, entrepreneur and filmmaker Kris Taska, actor and director Hendrik Toompere, and political analyst Raivo Vare. They highlighted his level-headedness and strong experience in security and crisis management as assets.
He had also met with the opposition party Isamaa regarding a potential bid.
To run, a candidate must give consent, and election requires a majority of at least 68 votes in the 101-seat Riigikogu. If three rounds of voting fail to produce a winner, the process moves to the 208-member regional electoral college.
The formal candidate nomination process runs from August 21–24, while Riigikogu ballots are scheduled for September 2–3. Current President Alar Karis is not seeking a second term.
