RIGA, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Latvia's center-right government coalition on Tuesday agreed to set May 29, 2019 as the date for the presidential election despite opposition politicians' proposal to hold the vote a week later, local media reported.
Representatives of ruling parties said on public television that Latvia's next president will be elected at an extraordinary parliament meeting on May 29 and that they would collect the necessary number of MPs' signatures to call the meeting if needed.
On Monday, a group of 34 lawmakers of the opposition Harmony party and the Greens and Farmers Union tabled a proposal to hold the presidential election on June 5.
June 7 is the deadline for the parliament to elect the president in accordance with the Latvian constitution.
The date for the presidential election has yet to be approved by the council of parliamentary factions, as the Latvian president is elected by lawmakers.
The official registration of presidential candidates ended at midnight Monday. The government coalition has registered European Court of Justice judge Egils Levits as their presidential nominee, Ombudsman Juris Jansons has been nominated by the opposition centrist Greens and Farmers Union, and three members of KPV LV party have put forward MP Didzis Smits as their presidential candidate.
Latvia's incumbent President Raimonds Vejonis has decided not seek a second term.
