Estonia presidential poll fails

TALLINN, Estonia -- Estonia's parliament failed to chose a new president at a meeting to pick the country's second post-Soviet leader.

MPs failed to settle on a winner on Tuesday at the parliament's third and final round of voting, sending the race to the electoral college.

Electoral commission head Heiki Sibul told the chamber that neither opposition candidate Peeter Kreitzberg nor academic Peeter Tulviste gained the 68 votes necessary to win the presidential election in their second face-off of the day.

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Sibul said 33 MPs voted in favor of Kreitzberg and 33 for Tulviste.

The result follows an inconclusive second round earlier in the day between Kreitzberg and Tulviste and a deadlock in the first round Monday, which pitted Kreitzberg against former Prime Minister Andres Tarand. Analysts had widely expected a hung parliament.

The deadlock automatically sends the presidential race into the electoral college of MPs and local government representatives, which is scheduled to meet on September 21.

If they fail to pick a president, it will return to parliament.

The eventual winner is expected to lead the Baltic state into the European Union into its next expansion phase, scheduled for around 2004, and possibly into NATO.

Estonia's recent policy of tough reforms have made it a top candidate to join the EU, but left its 1.4 million people living in an economic divide.

Analysts say Estonia's second head of state since independence 10 years ago will have a tough act to follow.

The incumbent, 72-year-old Lennart Meri,has led the country since its independence 10 years ago and enjoys wide reaching popularity.

He is a popular multilingual intellectual who has been an eloquent spokesman for the country's EU and NATO membership aspirations.

Meri, known for his wry sense of humour, is constitutionally barred from seeking a third five-year term.

Estonia also hopes for an invitation to join NATO at its summit in Prague next year.

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