Latvia’s Parliament elects new head of state from 3 candidates in unpredictable vote

By JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Latvian lawmakers are set to elect new head of state on Wednesday from a field of three candidates with no clear favorite. The 100-seat Saeima legislature will elect the president for a four-year term. Entrepreneur and businessman Uldis Pilens, civil society activist Elina Pinto and Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics are registered by parties to run in the race. It was considered all but certain that incumbent Egils Levits, Latvia’s president since 2019, would seek reelection for a second term. But in a surprise move announced earlier this month, Levits said he was disappointed that parties in Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins’ three-party coalition government haven’t been able to agree on a joint candidate, and said he wouldn’t run in such a situation.