No. 1

Download

Share

Print

Preface

  • Heiki Sibul

    Chairman of the National Electoral Committee of the Republic of Estonia

Dear Reader of the Riigikogu Toimetised,

The idea for the Riigikogu Toimetised, the first parliamentary journal in Estonia, began circulating in the research service of the Riigikogu Chancellery already in 1996. It is somewhat symbolic that the idea took shape now, at the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, when we enter a new millennium.

The Riigikogu is a legislative institution elected by citizens, and it needs its own political-investigative publication to introduce the activities of Parliament. In the previous decade, work for the building of parliamentary democracy in Estonia was focused on the creation of legal bases appropriate for the Riigikogu and on the establishment of procedures and an information system necessary for a better fulfilment of the constitutional tasks of the Riigikogu. Having completed the major body of this work in 1992-1999, we can now take following steps necessary for the development of parliamentarism in Estonia. One such example is the appearance of the Riigikogu Toimetised, both as a printed publication and also on the homepage of the Riigikogu

(http://www.riigikogu.ee/rva/Toimetised.html).

The main topics in the Riigikogu Toimetised are related to the functions of the Riigikogu, development of the Estonian legal system, political culture, possibilities of broadening democracy, programmes of national importance, quality of law-making, globalising foreign policy, and many other timeless topics important for parliamentarism and civil society.

The Riigikogu will now have a chance to provide the wider public balanced information about its work, and the reader of the publication can find an answer to the question why the legislator discusses certain things and makes decisions in one or another way.

I see as readers of the publication first and foremost members of Estonian political parties, teachers and students of universities, leaders of business and non-profit associations, journalists, representatives of foreign embassies and parliaments, representatives of international organisations, and naturally also the civil servants working in the Riigikogu Chancellery, and everybody who is interested in the matters relating to Parliament.

Enjoy the reading!

Full article in Estonian

Feedback