"Birutis' letter was read out at the party's council, in which he announced his decision to withdraw as a presidential candidate. Birutis himself could not attend the meeting. So Paulauskas remains a single candidate. (...) He will have to present to us his team, the election headquarters, the program, the whole preparation," Viktor Uspaskich, founder of the Labor Party, told BNS on Thursday morning.
"After consulting culture representatives, voters, my team, I made the decision to renounce these plans," Birutis told BNS on Thursday, adding that he has a very interesting job and doesn't want to quit it.
Asked whether the Labor Party is considering proposing Loreta Graužinienė as the Labor Party's presidential candidate after the recent reshuffle in the party, Uspaskich says no. Graužinienė is to replace Vydas Gedvilas as speaker of parliament.
"The last time I suggested nominating Graužinienė, but she refused herself," Uspaskich said.
Graužinienė was the Labor Party's candidate in the presidential election in 2009.
