An opposition conservative party is ahead after Sunday's (12 October) parliamentary election in Lithuania, exit polls have shown, but high results for two populist groups pave the way for tricky coalition talks ahead. The opposition center-right Homeland Union Party was leading with almost 18 percent of the votes, while two populist parties - Order and Justice of Lithuania's impeached former president Rolandas Paksas (13 percent), and the Labour party (10 percent) led by Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich - got a combined 23 percent in the elections, the Associated Press reports quoting exit polls. The Ignalina nuclear plant is set to close by the end of next year "We are ready to take responsibility and expect the president's offer to start forming a new cabinet," Homeland Union Party's leader Andrius Kubilius said after the announcement of the first results. The Social Democrats of Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas - in power since 2001 - received some 12 percent, but the surprise came from the National Revival Party of reality TV presenter Arunas Valinskas, which got some 15 percent of the votes.
An opposition conservative party is ahead after Sunday's (12 October) parliamentary election in Lithuania, exit polls have shown, but high results for two populist groups pave the way for tricky coalition talks ahead.
The opposition center-right Homeland Union Party was leading with almost 18 percent of the votes, while two populist parties - Order and Justice of Lithuania's impeached former president Rolandas Paksas (13 percent), and the Labour party (10 percent) led by Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich - got a combined 23 percent in the elections, the Associated Press reports quoting exit polls.
The Ignalina nuclear plant is set to close by the end of next year
"We are ready to take responsibility and expect the president's offer to start forming a new cabinet," Homeland Union Party's leader Andrius Kubilius said after the announcement of the first results.
The Social Democrats of Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas - in power since 2001 - received some 12 percent, but the surprise came from the National Revival Party of reality TV presenter Arunas Valinskas, which got some 15 percent of the votes.
European Tribune - Coming Lithuanian elections
Update [2008-10-13 12:40:0 (LT) by das monde]: Here are preliminary results of nationwide party voting (for 70 seats). 2007 out of 2034 districts reporting. Voter participation - 1278989 (48.42%). Non-valid votes - 71747 (5.61%). The 5% barrier (derived from the number of all participating voters) is 63950. The last column gives (preliminary) numbers of candidates in run-off elections two weeks later in individual constituencies. Three individual mandates are already won.
