Following two hours of debate a vote was held which saw Egils Levits confirmed as the next head of state.
Levits secured the backing of 61 deputies with 32 opposed in the first round of voting, giving him a clear victory over rivals Didzis Šmits (24 for, 69 opposed) and Juris Jansons (8 for, 85 opposed).
It was the first time the president of State is elected in open ballot a fact that resulted in a quicker and more transparent result than the previous secret ballot system.
Speaking to Saeima immediately after the vote, Levits vowed "I will be a president of all Latvia's people" and "all Latvian citizens" regardless of their ethnicity of creed and whether they live in Latvia itself or in "the wider world" as part of the diaspora.
"My work will be dedicated towards bringing our Latvia more solidarity so that we may all feel valued, needed and belonging to our country," he said.
Levits also thanked outgoing President Raimonds Vējonis - who defeated him in the ballot four years ago - for his work for the good of the country.
For background on Levits' biography, see our earlier feature.
