The Latvian center-right government's coalition has won parliamentary elections in the Baltic nation, according to preliminary data published by the country's central electoral commission on Sunday.
With votes counted at 968 out of 1,013 polling stations, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis' Vienotiba (Unity) bloc has won 30.34%. The opposition Saskanas Centrs (Harmony Center) party, which represents the Russian-speaking majority and seeks to mend strained ties with Russia, is second with 25.87% of the vote, the commission said.
The Union of Greens and Farmers is third with 19.52% of the votes, the commission said.
Polling stations opened in Latvia and abroad on Saturday to cater to some 1.5 million voters. A total of 13 political parties and movements took part in Saturday's elections.
The results show that Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis still enjoys much popularity in Latvia. He took the job in 2009 when the global economic downturn was at its worst, with the country's GDP contracting by a quarter and the unemployment rate soaring to double digits.
RIGA, October 3 (RIA Novosti)
