Andrej Kiska elected president of Slovakia

Andrej Kiska, a relative newcomer to politics, was elected president of Slovakia on Saturday.

Kiska managed to hand Prime Minister Robert Fico an embarrassing loss for the ceremonial position, reports The Associated Press. He managed to win with 59.4 percent of the vote, with Fico snagging only 40.6 percent.

Businessman and philanthropist Kiska spoke to a crowd after winning saying, "I will try to make our politics more human." He added, "I will stand by every decent citizen of this country."

Many saw the 51-year-old as the preferable choice after dealing with constant political corruption in Slovakia.

He's also the first president elected since the country gain independence almost 21 years ago that does not have Communist ties, according to AFP.

Institute for Public Affairs analyst Grigorij Meseznikov told the site, "This election was a referendum on Fico and his government, and he clearly lost it."

Despite the loss, he will likely remain prime minister until the next general election in two years. His party, Smer, also continues to hold a majority of seats in parliament, which likely is why so many voted against him for president.

AFP notes that analysts have suggested that he might have tried to alter the constitution in a move to increase the president's powers.

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