Latvia - Rise to power

Latvia's president is elected by the Saeima. Of the 100 deputies, 51 votes are required for election. Vike-Freiberga emerged as the surprise winner, with 53 votes. She won after a 14-hour marathon session in the seventh round of balloting. None of the initial candidates proved capable of finding support outside their own parties in the first five ballots. Even as candidates dropped out of the race, many parties chose to abstain or vote against all candidates rather than support the remaining ones. After the fifth round, all the original candidates had withdrawn. Vike-Freiberga's victory came after the center-right People's Party, the right-wing Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK Party, and the left-wing Social Democratic Party joined together to support her candidacy.