Estonia's Parliament fails to elect president in 1st round

Alar Karis, the sole candidate in Estonia's presidential election, failed to garner enough support in the first round of voting held in the country's 101-member Parliament (Riigikogu) during an extraordinary session on Monday, reported Xinhua.

Karis, director of the Estonian National Museum and a former auditor general, received support from 63 lawmakers. He needed a two-thirds majority, or at least 68 votes, to be elected in the secret ballot, the Parliament said in a press release.

Seventy-nine lawmakers cast ballots, of which 16 were blank, it said.

The Riigikogu's extraordinary session will continue on Tuesday with the second round of voting.

Supported by the Estonian Reform Party and the Center Party -- members of the current governing coalition holding 59 seats combined -- Karis was registered as the sole candidate for president by the Estonian National Electoral Committee on Sunday evening.

The three opposition parties are the Social Democrats with 11 seats, Isamaa (12) and the Conservative People's Party of Estonia (19).

Incumbent President Kersti Kaljulaid's five-year term of office ends on Oct. 10.