Ulle Madise elected next Estonian president

Ulle Madise, the sole candidate in Estonia's presidential election, was elected president Wednesday during a special session in the country's 101-member Parliament (Riigikogu).

Madise, Estonia's chancellor of justice, received support from 71 lawmakers, according to the live cast of the parliament session.

She needed a two-thirds majority, or at least 68 votes, to be elected in the secret ballot.

Seventy-eight lawmakers cast ballots in the ballot, of which seven were blank, the Parliament said.