RIGA, July 1 (LETA) - Grobina mayor Aivars Priedols (Greens/Farmers) was on Thursday elected to chair the council of the newly created Dienvidurzeme Region. 

Members of Dienvidurzeme Region Council, who convened for their first meeting at Grobina Hillfort, unanimously elected Priedols the council's chairman by 19 votes. 

Andrejs Radzevics of the Latvian Association of Regions (LRA) had nominated Durbe councilor Edgars Putra (Greens/Farmers) as a rival candidate, but Putra withdrew his nomination. 

As reported, the Union of Greens and Farmers won the June 5 local elections in Dienvidurzeme Region, receiving nine out of 19 mandates, according to the Central Election Commission's data. 

The National Alliance came second with five mandates, LRA won three mandates and New Unity received two seats on Dienvidurzeme Region Council.