Latvians were voting Saturday in a general election that could see a pro-Kremlin-populist coalition come to power, as the Baltic state celebrates the centenary of its independence from the Tsarist Russian empire after the World War I.

With a quarter of voters remaining undecided on the eve of the election, according to independent polling firm SKDS, the result is still wide open.

But the center-left and pro-Moscow Harmony party enjoys strong support among Latvia's ethnic Russian minority, which makes up about a quarter of the country's 1.9 million population.

Harmony, which was formerly allied with the United Russia party of Russian President Vladimir Putin, is expected to put in another good showing after winning the majority of votes in the last three elections. It did not enter government solely because it failed to find any other party to form a coalition.

This time around, however, it could find the necessary ally in the KPV LV, a populist party led by former stage actor Artuss Kaimins, who has retained popularity with voters despite his being detained over corruption allegations in June.

Watch video 02:23 Share Stopping money laundering in Latvia Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/30W8I Stopping money laundering in Latvia

A willing partner

The KPV LV — which translates as "Who owns the state? — has suggested it is willing to work with any other parties, saying it had "no red lines."

Polls show that a relatively new rightist party, the New Conservative Party, which opposes Russian being considered a national language in Latvia, is also likely to enter parliament. The Russian language dominated during Latvia's periods under Soviet rule from 1940-41 and 1944-1991. The current national language is Latvian but there have been attempts by Russian speakers to re-establish their tongue at an official level alongside it.

Read more: Latvia pushes majority language in schools, leaving parents miffed

Latvia, an EU and NATO member, is currently ruled by a center-right coalition of the Unity party, the Union of Greens and Farmers and the National Alliance, but opinion polls have shown it losing ground.

Saturday's election in Latvia, which sees 16 parties vying for 100 parliamentary seats, is being monitored by a team from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Polling stations are to close at 1900 UTC and final results are expected early on Sunday.

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' Down memory lane The World War II memorial in Riga divides public opinion. Some see it as a symbol for the Soviet victory over fascism, whilst others - mostly Latvians - consider it as a symbol of the subsequent Soviet occupation.

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' Train to nowhere Latvia's second-largest city Daugavpils is geographically and socially detached from Riga, with a population of over 50 percent ethnic Russians. The Kremlin has been keen to politicize the issue of non-citizens, with many fearing a similar separatism scenario to the one in Ukraine playing out in Latvia.

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' Left behind Daugavpils has a population of just under 100,000 - a decrease of almost 10 percent since 2009 as people leave in the hope of better lives in western Europe. Daugavpils has also been portrayed as a potential hotbed for separatism.

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' "I don't recognize Latvia's occupation" Evgeny Drobat, a member of the Communist Party in the years during the transition to independence, told DW that he refuses to recognize Latvia's occupation - a prerequisite for taking the Latvian naturalization exam. He voted against the law which would establish many Russian-speakers as "non-citizens."

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' Few rights for a "non-citizen" Evgeny shows his "non-citizen" passport, which includes the title "alien" under his picture. This denies him full voting rights, entry to various professions, residency and working rights in the EU - just a few of almost 100 legal restrictions.

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' Russian dominates the streets Riga - the cosmopolitan capital of Latvia - has seen a 13-percent decrease in its population since joining the EU. Even though official language is Latvian, Russian is spoken predominantly in the streets. Alexandr Aleksandrov, himself an "alien," thinks it’s all part of a bigger problem. "A lot of Russians who came here during the occupation were aggressively pushed out of society," he told DW.

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' An integrated Russian? "I don’ t feel victimized [by the status], I don't feel that separate, but in general I feel on the sidelines. I was thinking how this affected me, my vision; probably it did a lot." Alexandr maintains a level-headed approach. "The fact that Latvia was annexed legally, albeit using force, doesn’t make it any better."

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' The economic crisis bites Baltic states were hit hard during the 2008 financial crash. Severe austerity contributed to the rise of social problems and a spike in emigration and subsequent depopulation. "Non-citizens," however, are denied working rights in the EU, among other legal restrictions.

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' Through the barricades This memorial in Riga is dedicated to those who stood at the barricades in 1991. "Many Russians stood together with Latvians, and now they have to prove their loyalty?" said Aleksei Vasiljev, a teacher in Daugavpils. Aleksei, however, also said that the Russian-speakers in Daugavpils have "two presidents - one of them is Putin."

Latvia's Russian 'non-citizens' The Latvian way Yelena Vecena, director of a school in Daugavpils, says that "language is not an obstacle to those who want to learn and to communicate." To become a Latvian citizen, it's necessary to take a naturalization exam, covering the basics of the constitution and language skills. The key question, however, is: "Do you recognize the Soviet occupation of Latvia?" For many, this remains a moral obstacle. Author: Benas Gerdziunas (Latvia)



tj/ng (dpa, AFP)

Every evening at 1830 UTC, DW editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.</s>RIGA (Reuters) - Latvia’s ruling coalition lost its majority and two newly formed parties took more than a quarter of the votes amid widespread disillusion with the Baltic country’s politicians, the result in Saturday’s parliamentary elections showed with 80 percent of the votes counted.

A man casts his vote during a general election in Riga, Latvia October 6, 2018. REUTERS/Ints Kalnins

The country of 2 million, a quarter of whom are ethnic Russians, is a frontline state in Europe’s and NATO’s increasingly tense relationship with Vladimir Putin.

The pro-Russia party Harmony remained the biggest with 20 percent, due to its support from Russian-speakers, but will find it difficult to get in government as parties that oppose it because of its Moscow ties won enough votes.

Latvia has long been plagued by corruption and money-laundering issues. The country’s central bank governor is currently awaiting trial for accepting a bribe.

In part because of those issues, two newcomers, populist party KPV LV and anti-corruption party the New Conservatives, both won around 14 percent of the vote each to became the second- and third-biggest parties.

“This political party doesn’t take instructions or orders, whims of its founders, supporters or various other people who stand behind it,” Janis Bordans, party leader for the New Conservatives, told supporters after the election. “Faith in the rule of law will return to the people!”

The new parliament will be more fragmented and a broad coalition of ethnic Latvian parties is seen as the most likely outcome by political analysts. However, with seven parties winning seats, coalition talks could go on for weeks or months.

“Forming a new government will be very difficult,” current Prime Minister Māris Kucinskis of the Union of Greens and Farmers said after the election.

The ruling coalition consisting of his party, the National Alliance and the Unity party appear to have lost almost half of its votes.

“The messages that the voters have tried to send is that we’re going to have some new faces in politics,” Janis Ikstens, political scientist at Latvia University, told Reuters. “And perhaps they’re not happy with the neglect of social needs.”

Before the election, some Latvians feared a strong result for Harmony and KPV could lead to them forming a government and bringing the Latvia’s foreign policy closer to Putin’s Russia. But given the result, that looks unlikely, according to Ikstens.

Harmony recently rebranded itself as a Western-style Social Democratic party, saying it is committed to the European Union and NATO.

But it only last year ended its official cooperation agreement with Putin’s United Russia Party, raising concerns its transformation is only skin deep.

Latvia, a member of the European Union and NATO, shares a 276-kilometre (167 miles) border with Russia.

NATO currently has more than 1,000 troops deployed in the Baltic country of 2 million and even the potential of a minor shift in allegiance in Latvia will worry both Brussels and Washington.</s>Latvia’s pro-Russia Harmony Party has won the country’s general elections, and will have to negotiate with other parties to form a coalition government.

Harmony won the Saturday parliamentary elections with 19.91 percent of the votes, followed by KPV LV and New Conservative Party, with 14.06 percent with 13.6 percent, respectively.

Turnout in the elections was 54.59 percent, according to the election website.

The pro-European Union (EU), pro-NATO liberal For Development/For! Party came fourth with 12.04 percent.

The rightwing National Alliance gained 11.03 percent. The Greens and Farmers Union — which currently holds the posts of both president and prime minister — won 9.96 percent.

The New Unity took 6.67 percent as the last party crossing the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament.

The current parliament will keep working until November while parties discuss a new coalition.

No Harmony — until now

Latvia’s political parties had until now always tried to form coalition governments without Harmony in the blend.

The party will now hold 24 seats in the 100-seat parliament. KPV LV and the New Conservatives will jointly hold 31 seats.

The top three parties can muster the 55 seats needed to form a coalition government.

“No coalition combination is possible without Harmony,” the party’s chairman Nils Ushakovs told local media.

Latvia’s pro-Russia Harmony Party has won the country’s general elections, and will have to negotiate with other parties to form a coalition government.

Harmony won the Saturday parliamentary elections with 19.91 percent of the votes, followed by KPV LV and New Conservative Party, with 14.06 percent with 13.6 percent, respectively.

Turnout in the elections was 54.59 percent, according to the election website.

The pro-European Union (EU), pro-NATO liberal For Development/For! Party came fourth with 12.04 percent.

The rightwing National Alliance gained 11.03 percent. The Greens and Farmers Union — which currently holds the posts of both president and prime minister — won 9.96 percent.

The New Unity took 6.67 percent as the last party crossing the five-percent threshold needed to enter parliament.

The current parliament will keep working until November while parties discuss a new coalition.

No Harmony — until now

Latvia’s political parties had until now always tried to form coalition governments without Harmony in the blend.

The party will now hold 24 seats in the 100-seat parliament. KPV LV and the New Conservatives will jointly hold 31 seats.

The top three parties can muster the 55 seats needed to form a coalition government.

“No coalition combination is possible without Harmony,” the party’s chairman Nils Ushakovs told local media.

This article has been adapted from its original source.</s>The pro-Russia Harmony party has topped polls and the ruling coalition lost its majority in Latvia's national election, according to results from over 80 percent of precincts released.

Latvia, a country of roughly two million, shares a 214km border with Russia.

Its location, along with its membership in NATO and the European Union, places Latvia on the front line of increasingly tense relations between Moscow and the West.

A quarter of Latvia's population is ethnic Russians, bolstering support for the Harmony party, which won 20 percent of the vote.

Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis' party Union of Greens and Farmers got 9.7 percent and populist newcomers KPV LV got 11.5 percent.

There was worry of anti-EU sentiment dominating the polls, but pro-Europe parties registered gains.

Liberal party the Development got 13.4 percent and the conservative National Alliance got 12.6 percent. Both have strongly pro-European stances.

Harmony, which is regularly the biggest party but fails to join ruling coalitions, will hold 24 seats in the 100-seat Saeima, the Latvian parliament.

A coalition will need a simple majority of 51 seats to govern.

The current ruling coalition of Union of Greens and Farmers, the National Alliance and Unity together got 29.2 percent, meaning they would have to find at least one other coalition member to form a majority government.

"Forming a new government will be very difficult," Kucinskis said after the election.

Latvia has long been plagued by corruption and money-laundering issues. The country's central bank governor is currently awaiting trial for accepting a bribe.

"The messages that the voters have tried to send is that we're going to have some new faces in politics," Janis Ikstens, political scientist at Latvia University, told the Reuters news agency.

"And perhaps they're not happy with the neglect of social needs."

A total of 16 parties received votes during the polls, Latvian public broadcasting service LSM.LV said.

Reports from 1,057 of 1,078 precincts show that seven parties crossed the five percent threshold and will hold seats in the 13th Saeima since Latvia gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1990.

Six parties were represented in the previous parliament.</s>A pro-Russia party has won the most votes in Latvia’s parliamentary election.

Dissatisfied Latvians rejected the right-of-centre ruling coalition in Saturday’s vote, but suspicion of the left-leaning pro-Russia Harmony party makes it likely the next government will be another formation of right-wing ethnic Latvian parties.

European Union and Nato member Latvia is seen as a bulwark against Russia amid an increasingly hostile relationship between the West and its president, Vladimir Putin.

Latvians, fed up with corruption and weak democracy in the Baltic country of 2 million, used the election to punish the ruling three-party coalition, which lost almost half of its votes, mostly to two newcomers.

Those two parties, the populist KPV LV and anti-corruption New Conservatives, won a combined 27.7 per cent of the vote to become the second- and third-biggest parties.

“Our voters want a change from the old post-Soviet politics which has been very powerful up to now,” said Janis Bordans, leader of the New Conservatives. “They want to have a stable Latvia, but one which doesn’t stagnate.”

The New Conservatives, whose leadership features several former officers from the country’s anti-corruption agency, want to beef up law enforcement and get rid of a number of current officials who they say are corrupt.

Mr Bordans said he would like to be the new prime minister.

“If we count out Harmony then it’s logical that we take responsibility. We have to be ready to do it and it is very realistic,” he said.

Harmony, which is supported by ethnic Russians, who make up one-quarter of the population, took 19.9 per cent of the vote but will find it almost impossible to be part of any government.

The ethnic divide is strong in Latvian politics and other parties have always shut Harmony out of government. It has tried to rebrand itself as a western-style social democratic party, but only severed official ties to Mr Putin’s United Russia party last year.

“I don’t think this is a norm-breaking election. It carries on the tradition we have seen in Latvia that a quarter of the seats go to the Russian-speaking party,” said Daunis Auers, professor of comparative politics at the University of Latvia, adding that other parties would have no problem shutting out Harmony.

“They have no reason to form a government with Harmony. They can form a coalition among themselves,” he told Reuters.

Before the election, some Latvians were concerned that a strong result for Harmony and the populist KPV could lead to the two parties forming a government that brought Latvia closer to Russia.

The result will lead to a more fragmented parliament of seven parties, of which six won between 10 and 20 per cent support each. The forming of a government coalition could take months.

Latvia has long been plagued by corruption and moneylaundering. The country’s central bank governor is awaiting trial on charges of accepting a bribe, and one of the biggest banks, ABLV, went into liquidation this year after US authorities accused it of laundering vast amounts of money for people from the former Soviet Union.

Harmony will get 24 seats and remain the biggest bloc in parliament. – Reuters</s>HELSINKI (AP) — An opposition party favored by Latvia's large ethnic Russian minority has won the Baltic nation's parliamentary election, but it's expected to face difficulties forming a ruling coalition after a vote that saw new populist parties surge and government parties falter.

Voters in Latvia, a member of the European Union and NATO, chose Saturday from more than 1,400 candidates and 16 parties to fill the country's 100-seat parliament.

With all the votes counted, results Sunday from Latvia's electoral committee showed the left-wing Harmony party winning with 19.8 percent support.

The country's Russian minority is a major political force as it accounts about 25 percent of Latvia's nearly 2 million people, a legacy of nearly 50 years of Soviet occupation that ended in 1991.

Harmony is led by Nils Usakovs, the mayor of Riga, the capital, since 2009. But it has been shunned by other Latvian parties and kept out of the Cabinet over suspicions that it's too cozy with Moscow, despite the party's pro-EU stance.

Sunday's result would give the party 23 seats at the Saeima legislature, one less it has now.

Voters, however, dealt a severe blow to Latvia's current three-party ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis.

His centrist Union of Greens and Farmers came in sixth place with only 9.9 percent support, while the government's junior partners — the conservative National Alliance and the liberal New Unity — were fifth and seventh with 11 percent and 6.7 percent of the vote.

Two new smaller parties running on a strong anti-establishment, anti-corruption agenda moved into the forefront of Latvia's complex political landscape.

The populist KPV party — abbreviation for "Who Owns the State? — led by the colorful actor-turned-lawmaker Artuss Kaimins and the anti-corruption New Conservative Party took second and third place, with 14.3 percent and 13.6 percent of the votes respectively.

The liberal For Development/For! party also made a good run and got 12 percent support.

A total of seven parties exceeded the five percent threshold for getting seats in parliament.

Voter turnout was 54.6 percent according to preliminary data, the lowest since Latvia regained independence in 1991, the Baltic News Service reported.

The result means difficult weeks ahead trying to form a broad government coalition that has at least 51 seats in parliament. Only KPV has so far indicated it is open for talks with Harmony, the possible kingmaker.

But Harmony's pro-Russian stance is still an issue.

Relations between Russia and Latvia have been frayed by Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea Peninsula from Ukraine and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken a strong interest in defending the rights of ethnic Russians in the Baltics, and the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been wary of increased Russian military presence in the region.

Earlier this year Harmony cut its cooperation deal with Putin's United Russia party - a pact that was a major source of irritation to other Latvian parties.</s>Saturday’s parliamentary election in Latvia — a Baltic member of the European Union and NATO — should see a political party catering to the country’s ethnic Russian minority win most votes but it remains unclear if it can find coalition partners to put it into power.

Latvia, a nation of 2 million that borders Russia, has a sizable ethnic-Russian minority of around 25 percent, more if you count other Russian-speakers such as Belarussians and Ukrainians. That is a legacy of nearly 50 years of Soviet occupation that ended in 1991, when the nation once again became independent.

Nearly half of the residents of Riga, the capital, speak Russian even though Latvian is the country’s only official language.

More than 1,400 candidates from 16 parties are vying for seats Saturday in the country’s 100-seat Saeima assembly.

The left-leaning Harmony party is the country’s largest with 24 seats but has been shunned by Latvian parties over suspicions of having a too-friendly approach to Moscow despite its pro-EU stance.

It is unlikely to team up with Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis’ Union of Greens and Farmers, which polls suggest could come in second on Saturday, said Una Bergmane, a teaching fellow in international history at the London School of Economics.

To form a governing coalition, however, a three-party coalition is needed, as the two largest parties likely would fall short of a 51-seat majority, she said.

Since 2016, Kucinskis has led a three-party governing coalition with the national-conservative National Alliance and the liberal Unity parties. His party is particularly popular in rural areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has a taken strong interest in defending the rights of ethnic Russians in the Baltics, and Latvia has felt Moscow’s attempts to influence the country’s affairs in media, business and politics. The capitals have tense relations after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 from Ukraine and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have also noted with alarm a substantial increase in Russian military maneuvers in the region.

Harmony’s leader, Nils Usakovs who has been mayor of Riga since 2009, may have the best shot at grabbing power since earlier this year the party broke a cooperation deal with Putin’s United Russia party that had upset other Latvian parties.

The populist KPV party of Artuss Kaimins, an actor-turned-lawmaker, recently polled as Latvia’s third most-popular party but critics say its campaign promises are unrealistic. The New Conservative Party is running on a strong anti-corruption platform but has struggled to gain voter support.

Social issues such a national health reform and a debate over registering same-sex relationships have dominated the campaign along with economic issues and the fight against corruption.

Latvia’ security police say they are probing a possible vote-buying case but claim they have found no direct or systematic attempts by foreign nations to influence Saturday’s election.</s>HELSINKI (AP) — A political party catering to the ethnic Russian minority is expected to win the most votes in Saturday’s parliamentary election in Latvia — a Baltic member of the European Union and NATO — but it remains unclear if it can forge a coalition to take power.

Latvia, a nation of 2 million that borders Russia, has a sizable ethnic-Russian minority of around 25 percent — more if you count other Russian-speakers such as Belarussians and Ukrainians. That is a legacy of nearly 50 years of Soviet occupation that ended in 1991, when the nation regained its independence. Nearly half the residents in Riga, the capital, speak Russian even though Latvian is the country’s only official language.

More than 1,400 candidates from 16 parties are vying for seats in the country’s 100-seat Saeima assembly. The election campaign has largely focused on social policies issues such as health and whether to register same-sex relationships as well as economic issues and the fight against corruption.

The left-leaning Harmony party is the country’s largest with 24 seats but it has been shunned by Latvian parties over suspicions of being too cozy with Moscow despite its pro-EU stance.

Una Bergmane, a teaching fellow in international history at the London School of Economics, said it is unlikely the party will be able to team up with Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis’ Union of Greens and Farmers, which polls suggest could come second.

To form a governing coalition, a three-party coalition is likely needed, as the two largest parties are expected to fall short of a 51-seat majority.

Since 2016, Kucinskis has led a three-party governing coalition with the national-conservative National Alliance and the liberal Unity parties. His party is particularly popular in rural areas.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has taken a strong interest in defending the rights of ethnic Russians in the Baltics, and Latvia has felt Moscow’s attempts to influence the country’s affairs in media, business and politics. Relations have been frayed by Russia’s annexation of the Crimea peninsula in 2014 from Ukraine and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The Baltic countries — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — have also noted with alarm a substantial increase in Russian military maneuvers in the region.

Harmony’s leader, Nils Usakovs who has been mayor of Riga since 2009, may have the best shot at grabbing power following its decision earlier this year to end a cooperation deal with Putin’s United Russia party that had upset other Latvian parties.

Other parties fighting the election include the populist KPV party of Artuss Kaimins, an actor-turned-lawmaker, which opinion polls suggest may come third. And the New Conservative Party is running on a strong anti-corruption platform but has struggled to gain voter support.

Latvia’s security police say they are probing a possible vote-buying case but claim they have found no direct or systematic attempts by foreign nations to influence Saturday’s election.

The Riga-based Baltic Center for Investigative Journalism said it concurred with the assessment after having found “no persuasive evidence of foreign interference.”

The London School of Economics’ Bergmane said Russia may be a little bit distracted at the moment as it’s dealing with several contentious international issues. That, she said, is “good news for Latvia.”

“We’re not the most important thing on Russia’s agenda right now,” said Bergmane, a Latvia native. “They have other problems like Ukraine, Syria and relations with the United States and Britain.”</s>RIGA (Reuters) - Latvia’s pro-European parties looked to have done well in an election on Saturday, but the pro-Russian Harmony party was set to be the biggest single group in parliament, according to an exit poll by state broadcaster LTV.

If the result stands, it would allay fears of Harmony being part of any coalition government and possibly shifting the European Union and NATO member’s foreign policy closer to Putin’s Russia.

The pollster said that fewer voters than usual responded to its questions, however, and that the result was uncertain.

“Previous experience shows that the result of the more radical forces might do better than the exit poll shows,” Arnis Kaktinš, head of polling company SKDS, told Reuters.

The current majority government of the Union of Greens and Farmers, the National Alliance and the Unity party only mustered support from 29.2 percent of voters, according to the poll.

Populist newcomer KPV LV, which dominated pre-election debates and was seen by some as a possible coalition partner for Harmony, was the fifth-biggest party with 11.5 percent support.

Other parties did better than previous polls had suggested. The liberal Development/For party got 13.4 percent support, conservative National Alliance got 12.6 percent and anti-corruption party the New Conservatives got 12.4 percent. All three have strongly pro-European stances.

Dissatisfaction with Latvian politicians, widely seen as corrupt and inefficient, has seen the parties in Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis’ coalition lose voters to KPV LV, a party that has promised a fresh and more efficient government.

KPV leader, Artuss Kaimins, whose popularity has soared as he railed against corrupt politicians, has sent mixed messages on whether he would rule out a deal with Harmony, set to be the biggest party due to its support base among the Russian-speaking minority.

“I will be one of those good people who elect bad politicians,” said Raivis, a man in his late thirties, before casting his vote for Harmony in a Riga suburb earlier on Saturday.

“I try not to think about it because it’s been so complicated that it’s hard to understand who’s playing the chess board.”

Latvia, a member of the European Union and NATO, shares a 276-kilometre (167 miles) border with Russia which makes it a frontline state in the increasingly hostile relationship between the West and President Vladimir Putin.

NATO currently has more than 1,000 troops deployed in the Baltic country of 2 million and even the potential of a minor shift in allegiance in Latvia will worry both Brussels and Washington.

Harmony wants to remain in the EU and NATO but have closer economic ties with Russia and only cancelled a cooperation agreement with Putin’s United Russia party last year.

With Russian speakers making up a quarter of the population, Harmony looks to remain the biggest party, according to the polls, followed by the Union of Greens and Farmers and KPV LV.

Polling stations close at 1700 GMT with a preliminary official result expected around 0100 GMT Sunday morning.</s>The pro-Kremlin Harmony party won Latvia's general election ahead of populists, final results showed yesterday, but talks on forming a governing coalition looked thorny due to the country's fragmented political scene.

Harmony topped Saturday's vote with 19.91 percent of the vote ahead of two populist parties, KPV LV with 14.06 percent and the New Conservative Party with 13.6 percent.

"No coalition combination is possible without Harmony that would appear able and stable," Harmony chairman and Riga mayor Nils Ushakovs told the LETA agency. Harmony, popular with Latvia's ethnic Russian minority which makes up about a quarter of the country's 1.9 million population, was formerly allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin's United Russia party and has won the largest number of votes in the last three elections. It never entered government as it failed to attract coalition partners, but the populists suggested before the vote that they may help propel it to power this time.

Latvia's public broadcaster said on its website the results would give Harmony 24 seats out of 100 in the parliament, which is called Saeima. But together with an expected 15 seats for KPV LV, the two parties would need at least one other partner to clinch a majority. The pro-EU, pro-NATO liberal For Development/For! party came fourth in the vote with 12.04 percent, beating parties from the current center-right governing coalition including the rightwing National Alliance, which earned 11.03 percent. The center-right Greens and Farmers Union of Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis won 9.96 percent and the New Unity took 6.67 percent as the last party crossing the five-percent threshold to have seats in parliament. Latvia is a member of both the Eurozone and NATO, having joined the military alliance in 2004. The country is one of NATO's most disciplined spenders on defense, meeting the two-percent-of-GDP goal wished by the Alliance.
Voters in Latvia go to the polls to vote for a new parliament. The governing coalition loses its majority with two new parties Who owns the state? and the New Conservative Party becoming the second and third biggest parties behind Social Democratic Party "Harmony".