pühapäev, 14. veebruar 2010

Kas 1938. aastal toimus ikka pööre demokraatia suunas?

Üks väljavõte Londoni ajalehest The Times:

The Times |  January 3, 1938
FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT RIGA, JAN. 2
NEW CONSTITUTION IN ESTONIA RETURN TO DEMOCRACY
The Estonian Government and various political organizations arranged an impressive torchlight procession in Tallinn on Friday evening, culminating at midnight in a speech by M. Paets, the acting State President. The celebrations were to mark the advent of the New Year and the introduction of the new Estonian Constitution which re-establishes the Parliamentary regime interrupted in 1934. The Constitution.a provides for government by a State President, elected for six years by direct, secret, and popular ballot, and for a Parliament composed of two Chambers. of which the first will consist of 80 members elected by direct, secret, and popular ballot on what is locally called the " English system " to distinguish it from proportional representation. The second Chamber, to be called the State Council, will have 40 members. who must be over 40 and will be elected by various public organizations and local government bodies. The qualifying age for 'male and female voters at all popular elections is 22. The President is to appoint all Cabinet Ministers. If the first Chamber passes a vote of no confidence, the Cabinet must resign, but the Chamber must also be dissolved and be re-elected. The first Parliament under the new regime will be elected next spring and the first State President in the autumn, pending which time M. Paets will act as provisional Head of the State. An atmosphere favorable to the introduction of the new Constitution was created a few days before Christmas by the release of Generals Larka and Toerv and 16 other " Fascists " who had been condemned to long terms of irnprisonment for attempted revolts. **' The new Estonian Constitution, which was approved in a popular referendum early in 1936 by 473,235 votes to 149,578, supersedes the system introduced on January 24, 1934. This provided for the election every five years of a President with the power of conducting internal and foreign policies, legislating by decree, drafting the Budget, dismissing Ministers, and dissolving the Diet. 


Artikkel räägib sellest, kuidas Eestis hakkas 1938. aasta jaanuarist kehtima uus põhiseadus, mis taastas parlamendi funktsiooni, mis katkes 1934. aastal. Parlament oli kahekohaline, nn Inglise tüüpi: rahva poolt valitav 80-liikmeline Riigivolikogu ning asutuste ja organisatsioonide poolt valitav 40-liikmeline Riiginõukogu. Valimisiga oli 22 aastat. Artikkel märgib, et uue põhiseaduse jõustumiseks sobiva atmosfääri loomiseks vabastati enne jõule vanglast kindralid Larka, Tõrvand ning 16 ülejäänud "fašisti", kes olid mõistetud pikaks ajaks vangi mässukatsete eest.

On näha, et muu maailm, eriti Inglismaa oli optimistlik Eesti arengute suhtes, ent see oli vaid näiline fassaad, ilmselt selleks, et Läänega suhteid säilitada. Tegelikkus oli hoopis teine, millest on kirjutanud näiteks Eesti Ekspress.

Mis huvitav, et ka Päts oli antifašist, kui lasi fašistideks sõimatud vabadussõja kindralid Andres Larka ja Juhan Tõrvand'i vangistada.

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