The potential candidates were approved by the Labor Party's council at a meeting in Kėdainiai, central Lithuania, on Monday evening, according to Sergėjus Dobriakovas, the head of the party's Information Division.
The party's branches had initially proposed nine potential candidates, however, seven of them withdrew their candidacies. Among them were Parliamentary Speaker Vydas Gedvilas, MPs Virginija Baltraitienė, Loreta Graužinienė, Kęstutis Daukšys, Dangutė Mikutienė, Agriculture Minister Vigilijus Jukna and Vilnius Vice-Mayor Jonas Pinskus.
Paulauskas and Birutis are now to present themselves to the party's branches by the Labor Party's congress scheduled for October 19, and the party will then approve its single candidate for the presidentail bid.
Paulauskas already ran for president in 1997 but lost the race to Valdas Adamkus. Paulauskas has served as Lithuania's prosecutor general, parliamentary speaker, environment minister and currently heads the parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee.
Birutis is a former member of the European Parliament who currently serves as the minister of culture.
The nearest presidential election is scheduled for May 2014.
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| Šarūnas Birutis |
