Andris Berzins

Today, June 2, the Saeima elected the ex-banker and parliamentarian Andris Bērziņš (Berzins) next President of Latvia, as he gathered the majority of votes – 53 – in the competition with Valdis Zatlers (41 votes).

Five members of the political party Greens and Farmers Union (Zaļo un zemnieku savienība) had nominated him: Jānis Vucāns, Iveta Grigule, Aivars Dronka, Kārlis Seržants and Staņislavs Šķesters.

Berzins, born in 1944, who formerly was the President of Unibank, has also run Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Council of Latvenergo. Last year, he was elected in the 10th Saeima from the Greens and Farmers Union list.

Compering the wealth of the two presidential candidates – Berzins and Zatlers – it can be seen the ex-banker is much richer, as he has lent about a million lats. Besides, he owns tens of real estate, shares and securities worth several hundreds of thousand lats. Whereas, Zatlers has saved up only about 10 000 lats.

51 votes were necessary for the next president to be elected.

Presidential candidates were voted at secret ballot with ballot papers.

Zatlers’ presidential terms rounds up on July 7.

As reported, none of the two presidential candidates – Valdis Zatlers and the ex-banker and Saeima deputy Andris Berzins – gained the majority vote at the Saeima voting in the first round of the presidential elections, as 43 deputies voted for Zatlers and 50 for Berzins.