国际英语新闻:Latvian parliament supports "open vote" in presidential election

RIGA, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Latvian parliament approved the proposal to make the voting for the country's president open on Thursday.

The constitutional amendments was passed by 85 votes for to three against at what was the last parliamentary sitting before Saturday's general elections in the country.

Until now, the parliament elects the president of by voting by secret ballot. To win the election, the candidate has to secure the votes of at least 51 parliamentarians.

The opposition Association of Regions proposed the constitutional amendments, arguing that open voting in presidential elections would ensure greater transparency in the parliament's work. Also, presidential elections remained the only procedure of this kind requiring a secret ballot, as all other top state officials are elected by the parliament in open voting.

The parliament will elect a new president next summer when the four-year term of current president Raimonds Vejonis ends. Vejonis, a former defense minister, has not yet announced if he will run for a second term.