An exit poll showed Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs's centrist United List leading Latvia's parliamentary election. He still needs coalition partners and said he did not want to govern with Latvia First.
Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs's centrist United List looked set to finish first in Saturday's election for the 100-seat Saeima, an exit poll showed, Reuters reported from Riga. The result was widely expected, but the party would still need partners to form a government.
A separate Reuters account of an exit poll by public broadcaster LSM put United List at 35.6 percent, with the populist Latvia First at 11.3 percent. The Progressives were also on 11.3 percent and Sovereign Power on 10.8 percent in that reading. Exit polls are not official results.
Security and the cost of living dominated the campaign in the NATO and EU member state, which borders Russia and has a large Russian-speaking minority, Reuters reported. Kulbergs, reacting to the exit poll, said he hoped to remain prime minister and did not want to govern with Latvia First.
Reuters quoted him at party headquarters saying, "It's remarkably good. I was not expecting such result." Official results were still to confirm the ranking and the seat arithmetic for coalition talks.
Voters cast ballots amid warnings about Russian pressure and drone incursions linked to the war in Ukraine. Russia has called such accusations baseless, Reuters noted. Coalition negotiations are the next step if the exit-poll lead holds.
People Sentiments Neutral
- Kulbergs said the exit-poll result was remarkably good and better than he expected.
- He said he hoped to stay prime minister but would not want to govern with Latvia First.