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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Estonia elects Ilves as president | Estonia elects Ilves as president |
| (2 days later) | |
| Estonia has elected a new president, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who has defeated incumbent Arnold Ruutel. | Estonia has elected a new president, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who has defeated incumbent Arnold Ruutel. |
| Mr Ilves, 52, received 174 votes from the 345 registered members of the Electoral Assembly, while Mr Ruutel was supported by 162. | Mr Ilves, 52, received 174 votes from the 345 registered members of the Electoral Assembly, while Mr Ruutel was supported by 162. |
| A Social Democratic member of the European Parliament, Mr Ilves won popular support after the parliamentary rounds of the election last month. | A Social Democratic member of the European Parliament, Mr Ilves won popular support after the parliamentary rounds of the election last month. |
| He will begin his five-year term in office on 9 October. | He will begin his five-year term in office on 9 October. |
| US President George W Bush is due to visit him in November. It will be the first state visit to Estonia by an incumbent US president. | |
| Mr Ilves has spent most of his life abroad. He was born in Sweden, where his parents had fled after the Soviet Union occupied Estonia in 1940. | Mr Ilves has spent most of his life abroad. He was born in Sweden, where his parents had fled after the Soviet Union occupied Estonia in 1940. |
| He later moved to the US, but in 1993, two years after Estonia regained its independence, he gave up his US citizenship to become Estonia's ambassador to Washington. | He later moved to the US, but in 1993, two years after Estonia regained its independence, he gave up his US citizenship to become Estonia's ambassador to Washington. |
| Entering politics, Mr Ilves twice held the post of foreign minister, before more recently becoming a member of the European Parliament. | Entering politics, Mr Ilves twice held the post of foreign minister, before more recently becoming a member of the European Parliament. |
| Although the role of president is largely ceremonial, Mr Ilves has vowed to use it to raise Estonia's profile on the international stage - pointing to the perceived success of neighbouring Latvia, which will be hosting the Nato summit in November. | Although the role of president is largely ceremonial, Mr Ilves has vowed to use it to raise Estonia's profile on the international stage - pointing to the perceived success of neighbouring Latvia, which will be hosting the Nato summit in November. |