2019 Latvian presidential election

2019 Latvian presidential election

← 2015 May 29, 2019 (2019-05-29) 2023 →
 
Candidate Egils Levits Didzis Šmits
Electoral vote 61 24

President of Latvia before election

Raimonds Vējonis

Elected President of Latvia

Egils Levits

Indirect presidential elections were held in Latvia on 29 May 2019.

Voting system

Before the first round of the presidential election, the political parties represented in the Saeima nominate their candidate.[1]

The president is elected in the first round if they receive the absolute majority of the deputies, i.e. 51 votes out of 100.[1]

In case of failure, another round is organized with the same candidates or different ones, and under the same conditions. If no one is elected, other rounds are held until a candidate receives 51 votes and becomes President of Latvia. The president of the Saeima chairs the electoral college.[1]

Elections

Candidates for the position of President of LatviaEgils Levits, Juris Jansons and Didzis Šmits (from left to right)

Latvia's parliament elected former European Court of Justice judge Egils Levits as the Baltic country's next president on Wednesday, a largely ceremonial role that also brings with it limited political powers.

The results of the vote were as follows:[2][3]

Results[4][5]
Candidates Parties Votes %
Egils Levits Independent 61 65,59
Didzis Šmits KPV LV 24 25,81
Juris Jansons Independent 8 8,60
Valides votes 93 97,89
Blank and invalid votes 2 2,11
Total 95 100
Absention 5 5,00
Registered voters / turnout 100 95,00

Having received 61 votes, Levits began serving a four-year term starting on July 8, when incumbent president Raimonds Vējonis' term came to an end.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "FACTBOX - Presidential Election Procedure In Latvia". UrduPoint. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  2. ^ "Egils Levits elected as President of Latvia". Baltic News Network. May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  3. ^ "Saeima chooses Egils Levits as new State President". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  4. ^ "Egils Levits elected as President of Latvia". 29 May 2019.
  5. ^ Lettonie: un juge à la Cour de justice européenne élu comme nouveau président
  6. ^ "Latvian parliament elects former judge Levits president". Reuters. May 29, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019 – via www.reuters.com.