After no candidate collected the required number of votes in several ballots, a break was announced at the election session, during which Raimonds Pauls, who had received the most support at the time, withdrew his candidacy.

After the break, the sitting was resumed with new candidates and Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga was elected the 6th President of Latvia.

Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga was nominated as a candidate after failing to elect a new president in the first five rounds of voting.

After the adjournment of the Saeima sitting, Pauls announced that he had decided to withdraw his candidacy.

The sitting resumed at 9 p.m. with new candidates Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Ingrīda Ūdre and Valdis Birkavs.