00:01Exit polls show Latvia's centrist party, United List, Prime Minister Andres Kulbergs projected
00:09to win 35.6% of the vote, according to public broadcaster LSM. Meanwhile, the populist Latvia
00:17First Party has gained momentum, nearly doubling its 2022 results, as exit polls show it in second
00:24place with 11.3%. The pro-Ukrainian leader Kulbergs said on Saturday that he refused to cooperate
00:32with any pro-Russian parties, precisely mentioning Latvia First. The polls, which opened on Saturday
00:39in Latvia's parliamentary election, were shaped by concerns over neighbouring Russia and the cost
00:45of living crisis. Some 1.5 million people were eligible to cast their ballots in the elections,
00:51Latvia's 11th since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. 14 parties are in
00:58the run for 100 seats in the Saima, using a proportional system, while preliminary official results are
01:06due on Sunday.
