Latvian Lawmakers Elect Defense Minister Vejonis as Country's President

Defense Minister Raimonds Vejonis from the ruling centrist Greens and Farmers Union party was elected Wednesday as Latvia's new president after five rounds of voting in the parliament.

RIGA (Sputnik) — Vejonis was the sole candidate in the fifth round and garnered support of 55 lawmakers with 51 votes needed to be elected.

Three other candidates, opposition lawmakers Martins Bondars and Sergejs Dolgopolovs, and European Court of Justice judge Egils Levits, have been voted out in the previous rounds.

Vejonis will lead the ex-Soviet state in the Baltic for the next four years.