RIGA, Latvia (AP) – Latvia’s ruling center-right coalition parties have won a majority of seats in a parliamentary election dominated by security issues and the Ukraine crisis.
With more than 90 percent of votes counted, the opposition pro-Russian Harmony party won most votes in Saturday’s election with 23 percent, while the Western-oriented three-party government had 56 percent of the vote.
Alarmed by Russia’s intervention in Ukraine, Latvia coalition government has welcomed the buildup of NATO forces in the region as a protection against any aggression from Moscow.
A third of Latvia’s population is Russian-speaking, however, and the pro-Russia parties favor balancing the country’s Western orientation with stronger links to Moscow.
The provisional result means the current coalition will have at least 61 seats in the 100-member Parliament.