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The Congress of Estonia was a rival parliament set up in the Estonian SSR 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 Estonian independence activists started registering "citizens of Estonia", i.e. decendants of pre-1940 Estonian citizens. By February 1990, 790,000 "citizens" and about 60,000 applicants for citizenship had been registered.

In election in February 1990, registered "citizens" elected 499 delegates to the Congress from 31 different 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 Tunne Kelam.

A constitutional assembly was formed in September 1991, with equal numbers of members of the Supreme Soviet and the Congress of Estonia. The new Constitution, approved by referendum in June 1992, enabled the election of a new parliament in September 1992, based on restrictive citizenship laws that disenfranchised a third of Estonian population. After the election, the Congress dissolved itself in October 1992.

References

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

• 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

• History of Estonia
• National legislatures