Pilens becomes first nominee to be formally registered as presidential candidate

RIGA - The United List on Wednesday formally registered the party's founder Uldis Pilens as its candidate for Latvia's next president, Edgars Tavars, chairman of the United List group in the Saeima, informed LETA. 

Pilens' nomination was registered by all 15 MPs of the United List group. 

Pilens is the first publicly announced candidate to be formally registered for the presidential election. 

Earlier, Tavars said that Pilens' election as president would not mean a fall of Latvia's current government because the presidential election and the government's stability are unrelated matters. 

Tavars believes that the presidential election will pose a bit of a challenge to the government coalition, but that it will not be critical for the government and Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity). 

The registration of candidates for this year's presidential elections started Tuesday and will conclude on May 13. The Saeima is scheduled to elect Latvia's next president on May 31.

As reported, with the nomination of presidential candidates starting, the government coalition still remains divided, with two coalition parties each insisting on its own candidate. The United List is determined to nominate its founder Uldis Pilens, while the National Alliance stands by incumbent President Egils Levits.

Pilens, a businessman and founder of the United List, was the first candidate to announce his bid for the Latvian presidency. Apart from the United List, his candidacy has been endorsed by several opposition politicians, but he still cannot be sure that a majority of lawmakers will support him in the elections.

Incumbent President Egils Levits has also joined the race for the presidency, but for now he does not have enough votes in the Saeima to get reelected. Levits has been repeatedly nominated by the National Alliance and New Unity has endorsed his candidacy.

The opposition Progressives party plans to announce its presidential candidate this Thursday, May 11.

Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) said earlier that New Unity wanted the government coalition to come to an agreement on Levits as its presidential candidate.