The selection process has been widely criticized, as the election method seems very confusing and uncertain to many, as well as against the will of the people. The idea of ​​direct elections simply does not have enough support in parliament, as its opponents say direct elections would give the president too strong a mandate in a parliamentary-run democracy, thus running counter to the president's rather limited powers. It is known that only Estonian Centre Party and Conservative People's Party have been the only parties to openly defend the use of the referendum as part of the selection process.[4][2][5][6]