Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Parliament of Estonia
The Riigikogu is the legislative assembly of Estonia.
The first elections to the Riigikogu took place in 1920. From 1920 to 1938 there were five more elections to the Riigikogu, but several were on the basis of different constitutions. In 1920-1923 there was a closed list, while from 1926 to 1934 there was an optional open list choice. The basis of election was always proportional representation. The elections were on regional basis, without any threshold in first two elections, but since 1926 a moderate threshold has been used.
Since 1922 the sessions of the Riigikogu have taken place in the Toompea Castle, where one wing was rebuilt for use of the Riigikogu.
In 1992, when Estonia regained its independence due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, elections to the Riigikogu according to the Constitution of Estonia adopted in the summer of 1992 took place. According to the constitution the Riigikogu has 101 memebers. The present Riigikogu was elected on March 2, 2003. The main differences to a pure PR system is the established 5% national threshold, and the use of a modified d'Hondt formula (divisor is powered to 0.9). Modification makes more unproportionality than usual for the formula.
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