No clear leader as lawmakers start voting in Latvia's presidential election

Voting in Latvia's presidential election got under way in parliament on Wednesday, with none of the four candidates appearing to be a clear leader in the race.

Despite all attempts to agree on a single presidential candidate, the government coalition remained split on the issue.

The ruling centrist Greens and Farmers Union are sticking to Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis as their presidential candidate, also backed by several MPs of the ruling center-right Unity faction.

The right-wing National Alliance are insisting on their support for Egils Levits, a judge at the European Court of Justice, who also has some supporters in the Unity faction, according to politicians' comments to the local media.

The two presidential candidates nominated by opposition parties included Sergejs Dolgpolovs, an MP of the leftist Harmony party, and Martins Bondars, an MP of the Latvian Bloc of Regions.

The first three rounds of voting in Wednesday's election produced no winner because a candidate needs at least 51 votes to be elected president. Vejonis emerged as the most successful contender with 35 votes and Levits came second with 26 votes.

Bondars withdrew from the race after the second round of voting, having received seven votes in all.

Dolgopolovs dropped out in the third round with 23 votes. Twelve lawmakers voted against all the candidates and two ballot papers were found to be invalid.

Starting with the third round, the number of candidates is reduced until one candidate who wins the highest number of votes remains in the race.

The parliament will then vote on the last candidate standing, but if he does not receive at least 51 votes a new election will have to be called. Endit