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The Congress of Estonia was a rival parliament set up in the Estonian SSR during the process of Estonia's separation from USSR, to challenge the power and authority of the Supreme Soviet of the ESSR. The Congress claimed to represent the highest authority on questions of Estonian statehood and citizenship.

In 1989 independence activists started registering people considered to be Estonian citizens by birth according to the jus sanguinis principle, i.e. the people who held Estonian citizenship in June 1940 (when Estonian independence de facto lapsed) and their descendants. People that did not satisfy this criteria could register applications for citizenship. By February 1990, 790,000 provisional citizensand about 60,000 applicants had been registered.

In February 1990, an election of the Congress was held among citizens so registered. The Congress had 499 delegates from 31 distinct political parties. The Estonian National Independence Party won the most seats, other parties represented included the the Popular Front of Estonia, the Heritage Society and the Communist Party of Estonia. The permanent standing committee, the Committee of Estonia was chaired by Tunne Kelam.

In September 1991, A constitutional assembly was formed of equal numbers of members of the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of Estonia. The new constitution was approved by referendum in June 1992. Congress of Estonia and the Supreme Soviet were dissolved, shortly after the first parliament under the new constitution was elected in September 1992.

References

1. Soviet Union Cry Independence - Time magazine - August 21, 1989

External links

• ELECTIONS AND REFERENDUMS IN ESTONIA 1989-1999 - 3. ELECTIONS TO THE ESTONIAN CONGRESS 24.02-1.03 1990
• Estonia's Way to Freedom
• Independence Reclaimed, August 1991-October 1992

v t e Elections and referendums in Estonia
Parliamentary elections	1917 1918 1919 1920 1923 1926 1929 1932 1936 1938 1940 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1980 1985 1990 (Feb) 1990 (Mar) 1992 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023 Next
Municipal elections	1919 1921 1923 1927 1930 1934 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021
Presidential elections	1992
European elections	2004 2009 2014 2019 2024
Referendums	1923 1932 1933 (Jun) 1933 (Oct) 1936 1991 1992 2003

• History of Estonia
• National legislatures