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Latvian President re-elected

RIGA (Latvia): Vaira Vike-Freiberga easily won a second term on Friday as President of Latvia, the former Soviet republic that she helped guide into NATO and the European Union. Latvia's 100-seat Saeima (Parliament), voted 88-6 to let the 65-year-old serve another four years. Two of the ballots were disqualified and four lawmakers were absent. In Latvia, a Baltic state of 2.4 million people, the public doesn't elect the President and the office isn't involved in the day-to-day running of the Government. Lawmakers greeted Ms. Vike-Freiberga, who was the only candidate, with a stirring standing ovation when she appeared on the Parliament floor after the vote. Ms. Vike-She was picked as a dark horse candidate in 1999 — a year after she returned to the country from Canada, where her family settled after fleeing Latvia in 1945 when she was 7.

AP

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