Polling stations in Latvia opened Saturday for a general election that could propel a populist, pro-Kremlin coalition to power as the Baltic state celebrates the centenary of its birth as an independent state.
Though lauded for righting the economy, the governing centre-right coalition has lost ground, opinion polls suggest.
But with a quarter of voters still undecided according to pollsters, the election is still wide open.
Not that the pro-Russia party would win a majority, but it would be the leader to form a coalition government.
I certainly hope that the undecided voters save Latvia from an autocratic Russia that views the loss of Latvia as part of the greatest geopolitical tragedy of the 20th century.
UPDATE: The results:
The pro-Kremlin Harmony party won Latvia's general election ahead of populists, final results showed Sunday, but talks on forming a governing coalition looked thorny due to the country's fragmented political scene.
Harmony topped Saturday's vote with 19.8 percent of the vote ahead of two populist parties -- KPV LV with 14.25 percent and the New Conservative Party with 13.6 percent.
Their showing is small so I'd hope that a coalition will eventually be built without them.
The tiny country has more parties than is good for them. Thank God we don't have a parliamentary system is all I can say.
