ISTANBUL

The Libertarian Party chose political activist Chase Oliver as its candidate for US president following a protracted vote over the weekend at its convention in Washington, D.C. 

Oliver secured around 60% of the vote in the seventh and final round, defeating the "none of the above" option, which garnered 36% of the delegates' support.

The selection capped a four-day event where both former President Donald Trump and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unsuccessfully sought the party's backing.

Trump, not an official candidate, received six write-in votes in the first round. Kennedy was eliminated in the same round with only 2% of the vote.

Mike ter Maat, a former economist and retired police officer, was chosen as the party’s candidate for vice president with 51% of the vote in the second round.

Oliver was a candidate for the Georgia Senate election in 2022.

The Libertarian Party, founded in 1971, is the third-largest political party in the United States, advocating for free markets and non-interventionism.