MINELREL-L Archive (02251999-20:00:32-10169)

More on Presidential Roundtable in Estonia


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Subject: More on Presidential Roundtable in Estonia


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Original sender: Aleksei Semjonov <[email protected]>

More on Presidential Roundtable in Estonia


Statement of members of Estonian Roundtable
 
The critical situation concerning the Presidential Roundtable on
National Minorities in Estonia was already described in the message by
Vello Pettai, presidential plenipotentiary at the Roundtable
(MINELRES, 21 February 1999). The text of the statement by four
members who announced their leaving the membership in the body (not a
suspension, as Pettai wrote), which expresses their concerns and
arguments, is presented below. Few remarks should only be added.
 
Among these four members, Hanon Barabaner, Rector of the College on
Economy and Management, and Aleksei Semjonov, Director of the Legal
Information Centre for Human Rights, took part in the Roundtable
activities from the time of its foundation in 1993. Sergei Ivanov
represents the Russian faction in Estonian parliament. Vladimir Velman
is editor-in-chief of the main Russian newspaper 'Estonia'.
 
Certainly, these persons are reasonable and experienced enough not to
claim that the Roundtable should have veto power over Estonian
government institutions. But when Estonian authorities in the process
of making decisions continuously and arrogantly ignore any
consultation with this 'consultative body', the question arises: what
kind of 'a certain measure of progress', as was mentioned in Pettai's
message, had the Roundtable really achieved?
 
Indeed, the quality and competence of internal discussions and
subsequent recommendations of the Roundtable considerably improved in
the course of recent years. The body essentially turned out to be able
to create a real mechanism for a dialogue. But even the most perfect
mechanism remains lifeless until somebody decides to use it. Thus the
question whether the Roundtable was able to reach its main purpose -
to improve the government's and parliament's policy - deserves only
negative answer. Particularly in the light of the 'Policy of
integration' declared by current Estonian government. Two recent
legislative amendments, to the electoral law and the language law,
became 'the last drop.' If such decisions, which would overtly and
directly discriminate linguistic minorities, were made without
consultations and in obvious contradiction with national minorities'
consultation body's recommendations, the entire idea of consultation
and integration looks fictitious.
 
These decisions could seriously destabilize the political situation in
Estonia. Unfortunately, the almost demonstrative reluctance of
Estonian officials to use the Roundtable effectively have led to a
situation when this forum had lost its former moral authority and
could hardly play any significant role in further development, even in
a capacity of a mediator.
 
STATEMENT
OF MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ROUND TABLE
ON NATIONAL MINORITIES IN ESTONIA
 
The Presidential Roundtable on National Minorities in Estonia was
organized in summer of 1993 when the problem of preserving integrity
and the State system of the Republic of Estonia was very acute. It was
the Roundtable that contributed much to stabilize the situation and
maintain civil peace in the country. The Roundtable was proclaimed
then an efficient instrument of international dialogue and a forum for
harmonization of social and national processes.
 
At the international fora Estonian officials, and independent
observers and experts permanently refer to the Roundtable as a forum
for dialogue and an instrument of integration policy. But, actually,
the activity of the Roundtable in the recent years proves that
Estonian officials prefer the so-called "monologue" manner of
discussions. Comments and recommendations made by the "round table" in
respect of concrete drafts laws have not been taken into account. In
the same time the Roundtable is totally debarred from development of
principal strategic matters.

In the whole period of existence of the Roundtable neither government
or its structures, nor Riigikogu or its commissions have, by own
initiative, consulted representatives of the national minorities while
preparing laws and administrative arrangements that directly affected
these parts of population. On the other hand when the members of the
Roundtable by their own initiative discussed drafts laws, neither
government nor Riigikogu analyzed the recommendations of the
Roundtable and made decisions in direct contradiction with the
recommendations of the Body. Unfortunately, the President of Estonia
also did nothing to support the recommendations of the Roundtable with
his authority.
 
This is a far from been complete list of the laws, dealing with the
vital aspects of existence of the national minorities, where
recommendations of the Roundtable were not taken into account:
- The Law on Citizenship (1995).
- The Law on Ratification of the Framework Convention for the
Protection of National Minorities.
- Amendments to the Law on Basic and Upper Secondary Schools.
- Amendments to the Law on Aliens.
- Amendments to the Law on Citizenship.
- Amendments to the Law on National and Local Elections
- Amendments to the Law on Language.
 
Neither members of the Roundtable, nor representatives of national
minorities participated in compiling the "Bases of Estonia's State
Integration Policy", even as experts. In any case we have no
information that those people who for several years had been insisting
on the necessity of integration and declared their own ideas thereof,
were invited to work over this project. The document itself was
submitted to the Roundtable's discussion only after it had been
adopted by the government and presented to the Riigikogu. The very
possibility of a serious fundamental discussion is impossible in this
situation. We consider that thus the national minorities and their
organizations, including the Roundtable, were deterred from developing
of the policy supposedly directed to their integration. The same can
be said about adoption of the "Language strategy", preparation of the
Law on Ombudsman, etc. It is quite evident for us that Estonian
officials are not going to consult representative institutions of the
national minorities, or involve these persons in the preparation,
implementation and assessment of the plans and programs likely to
affect them directly. In fact it means that the Estonian authorities
still have no serious intention to promote effective participation of
persons belonging to national minorities in making decisions that
affect them.
 
Any integration can be successful if and only its principles and its
programs will be realized in a situation of comprehensive social
consensus. Consensus in its turn can be achieved only by free
comprehensive discussion with participation of all the parties,
primarily with the subjects of integration. We thought it to be an
axiom, needless and uneasy to explain, since it is a matter of
elementary democratic culture. It is a matter of political will.
Finally, it is a matter of fair purpose.
 
That is why we cannot comply with the fact that the Roundtable is no
longer a forum for a dialogue, but it has become a decorative body of
"collective approval". We have no right to admit responsibility for
the policy in formation thereof we could not efficiently participate.
We have no right to bear any more up with demonstrative neglect of
ourselves and of the people whose interests we undertook to represent
and protect. Determent of the Roundtable from real discussion of
integration policy can only mean that the Estonian society yet is
ready neither for dialogue, nor for integration.
 
Due to the reasons mentioned above we do not consider it possible for
us to be members of the Roundtable any more. Nevertheless, we will
take an active part in all real processes of democratic development of
Estonian State and society.
 
Hanon BARABANER
Sergei IVANOV
Aleksei SEMJONOV
Vladimir VELMAN
 
Tallinn, February 19, 1999.

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