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Comfortable win projected for Latvia's center-right

October 4, 2014

Latvia's ruling coalition has won the country's general election, according to exit polls. The center-right grouping was projected a resounding majority in a vote overshadowed by fears about resurgent neighbor Russia.

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Lettland Parlamentswahl 04.10.2014
Image: Reuters/I. Kalnins

The three-party governing coalition enjoyed a comfortable lead in at least two exit polls after voting ended on Saturday, giving it a substantial majority in Latvia's lower house, the Saeima.

A poll by the news agency LETA gave 61.7 percent of the vote to the combined Unity party, Nationalist Alliance and Union of Greens and Farmers. The figure would give the alliance - led by Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma - a projected 63 seats in the 100-seat parliament.

The pro-Russian opposition Harmony party garnered 21.6 percent of the vote, which it is expected would give them 23 seats.

Meanwhile, two new parties managed to cross the 5 percent voting threshold needed to enter parliament. The Alliance of Latvia's Regions took 6 percent of the vote, while For Latvia from the Heart had 5.4 percent.

A separate poll by the news agency BNS gave a slightly stronger showing for the center-right coalition, on 63.1 percent, while Harmony won 19.4 percent. The Alliance of Latvia's Regions and For Latvia from the Heart took 6.2 percent and 6.9 percent respectively.

Jitters over Moscow

The poll comes amid growing alarm among many Latvians in the face of Russian interventions in Ukraine, particularly the annexation of Crimea in March. Latvia, now an EU, eurozone and NATO member, was under Soviet rule until 1991.

Harmony draws much of its support from Latvia's Russian minority, which makes up a quarter of the country's 2 million inhabitants. It campaigns for Russian to become Latvia's second official language and the party did not support a recent parliamentary resolution that supported Ukraine against "Russian aggression".

Straujuma has called for more NATO troops and extra air patrols in the country, which borders Russia, amid fears of a resurgent Russia. She warned ahead of the election that a win for Harmony could threaten the independence of Latvia, which was part of the Soviet Union until 1991.

Harmony received the most votes of any individual party in a snap election in 2011, but this was not enough to give it a majority. Having failed to find coalition partners, it was relegated to the opposition in the 100-seat parliament.

rc/bw (AFP, Reuters)