Narva Election Commission Refuses to Confirm Jaan Toots as Mayor

The Narva Election Commission this week decided not to review Jaan Toots' application for confirmation as the city's mayor. Toots submitted his application on June 2, stating his desire to continue in a position incompatible with a council member's mandate.

A day earlier, on June 1, the coalition of "Plan B" and the Centre Party, holding a one-vote majority in the city council, convened a session on its own initiative. During that session, the council voted no confidence in Council Chairman Mihhail Stalnuhhin (Narva 2.0) and Mayor Katri Raik. Urbo Vaarmann (Plan B) was elected as the new council chairman, and Toots as mayor.

However, the chancellery of the Narva City Council refused to register the documents from that session. A week later, the election commission initially suspended consideration of Toots' application pending a response from the Ministry of Justice and Digital Technologies regarding the legitimacy of the June 1 session.

On June 15, the ministry stated that the issues raised required more thorough analysis and recommended that council deputies act in accordance with legal amendments taking effect on July 1, 2026, at the earliest opportunity. Starting July 1, 2026, a majority of council deputies will be able to convene sessions on their own initiative and make all necessary decisions without legal disputes.

The election commission noted that the ministry's position did not provide a clear answer regarding uniform application of legal norms. The commission cannot consider Toots' application on its merits because it is not clear and definitively established whether the council's decision is lawful or unlawful. The election commission emphasized that it lacks the competence to assess the situation. Consequently, it left Toots' application unexamined and terminated proceedings on the matter.