RIGA, Jan 19 (LETA) - Madars Lasmanis (For Development of Latvia) was on Wednesday elected the new chairman of Jelgava Regional Council.

Other contenders running for the post were Ilze Vitola (Latvian Farmers' Party) and Dainis Liepins (Latvian Association of Regions).

Lasmanis was elected chairman of the regional council by 10 votes, while Vitola received four and Liepins three votes. One member of the regional council abstained from voting. 

As reported, the long-time chairman of Jelgava Regional Council, Ziedonis Caune (Latvian Farmers' Union), who previously announced his intention to resign due to political pressure, was removed from office in a no-confidence vote on January 5.

Caune was deposed by 11 votes to four and three abstentions after seven members of Jelgava Regional Council tabled a motion of no-confidence in Caune on December 21.

Caune said in December that he planned to step down after municipal budget was passed because of what he called "political pressure''. He said that a redistribution of power was taking place on the regional council and that he was ''under political pressure''.