Narva opposition unilaterally elected a new mayor, but failed to seize power

Narva's opposition unilaterally elected a new mayor and council chairman on Monday. Although the opposition's chosen mayor Jaan Toots now has an office in the city hall building, the city chancellor's office did not register the council's decision.

An unusual situation emerged in Narva on Monday when the city's opposition decided to unilaterally elect a new mayor and council chairman, seeking to bypass the current authorities.

Jaan Toots became the mayor elected by the opposition, and he was allocated an office in the city hall building. Despite this formal step, the transfer of power ultimately failed — the city chancellor's office refused to register the council's decision, meaning the decision has no legal force.

This means that the current city authorities continue their work officially, and the opposition failed to achieve its goal. The city chancellor's position is clear: without proper registration, the new mayor's assumption of office is not valid.