RIGA, June 19 (LETA) - The municipal council of Valka on Thursday elected Vents Armands Krauklis (Vidzeme Party) as chairman of the municipal council.

At the first meeting of the municipality's new council, Krauklis was elected Valka mayor by eight votes out of 15, as councilor Ginta Krievkalna (Vidzeme Party) was absent due to a foreign business trip.

Krauklis was nominated for Valka mayor by his Vidzeme Party, while the joint list of For Latvia's Development and the Latvian Farmers' Union (LA/LZS), the National Alliance and the Progressives had nominated previous mayor Gita Avote, who received four votes in her support.

Janis Anze and Kristaps Sula of LA/LZS were also absent from the council meeting.

After his election, Krauklis called on all councilors to work so that people of all ages wanted to live in the municipality - so that children wanted to study here, seniors wanted to spend their old age here, and entrepreneurs wanted to do business here.

He also called on the opposition councilors to be active and come forward with their proposals so that together they can build a better life in the municipality. Krauklis emphasized that the treatment of council staff would not depend on political sympathies or antipathies.

As reported, Vidzeme Party won this year's local elections in Valka, receiving nine seats on the municipal council. The electoral list of LA/LZS won four seats, which meant that Avote had to lose the post of Valka mayor.

The Progressives and the National Alliance won one seat each on the council.

The joint list of Sovereign Power and the Association of New Latvians did not surpass the 5 percent vote threshold in Valka.