Over 13,000 candidates ran for 1498 seats in local councils. Mayors are also being elected in Lithuania’s 60 municipalities, with 433 candidates vying for the job. In municipalities where no candidate wins a majority, a run-off vote will be held on March 19. The polls closed at 8 pm local time (1800 GMT)
According to the Central Electoral Commission (VRK), the turnout stood at 48.94 percent, the highest turnout for local elections in the last two decades.
Prior to the vote, the Social Democrats lead the polls with 15.2 percent support, followed by the Union of Democrats “For Lithuania” (10.1 percent) and Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (10 percent).
But as an observer said, polling does not always translate well into the results.
“What we actually have here are 60 separate elections, with local leaders running, and very often the deciding factor is not the party one belongs to, but whether they can do their job well,” said the observer.
In other cases, it is up to the individual voter’s “personal experience”.
“I met him [candidate] once. Since then, I have liked him. Now he is running and I will vote for him,” the voter said. But refused to identify himself, because according to him he did not want his wife to learn he voted differently than she did.
Polish community in the elections
Lithuania is home to a Polish community, which although it only makes up 6.5 percent of the total population of the country, is heavily concentrated around the capital city of Vilnius, and makes up a majority in Vilnius (city suburbs) and Šalčininkai municipalities.
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance has been in power in Vilnius and Šalčininkai counties for over 30 years. The party fielded 390 candidates in 11 municipalities. Eight are running for the post of mayor, including Waldemar Tomaszewski, the party’s leader and MEP, who is running for the Mayor of Vilnius.
Poles are also running on other parties’ tickets, mostly the Social Democrats and the Union of Democrats “For Lithuania”.
TVPWORLD.COM
