Tallinn's embattled mayor, Juri Mois, submitted his resignation on May 31 following months of criticism from the opposition and then members of his own Pro Patria party for a series of political blunders.

Tallinn's embattled mayor, Juri Mois, submitted his resignation on May 31 following months of criticism from the opposition and then members of his own Pro Patria party for a series of political blunders. Mois, a former bank executive who took over as mayor in late 1999, has been credited with streamlining the city government and for imposing new corporate efficiency on many key departments. But his awkwardness in dealing with the political side of his job, plus questions about whether he was mixing his business and personal interests with his official duties, continually drew fire. A first try at electing a new mayor on June 1 ended in deadlock with center-left opposition leader Edgar Savisaar and center-right candidate Tonis Palts receiving the same number of votes in the 64-seat city government chamber.