Metinė prenumerata tik 6,99 Eur. Juodai geras pasiūlymas
Išbandyti
2012 10 17

Lithuanian Parties trade support for each other's candidates in run-off elections

Some political parties pledge to support their potential partners in the second round of parliamentary elections in two weeks, while others leave the question of support to local branches or voters themselves to decide.
Susitikimo akimirka
Leaders of the Labour Party, Order and Justice, the Social Democrats / Luko Balandžio nuotr.

Shortly after closing polling stations in the first round of voting on Sunday evening, the Labour Party the Social Democrats the Order and Justice party agreed to back each other's candidates in 28 October run-offs.

However, one candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Juras Požela, who came in third in Antakalnis constituency, posted in his Facebook profile that his supporters should vote for conservative Andrius Kubilius in the run-off ballot rather than a candidate nominated by the Path of Courage Party. He later refused to comment on his post, saying this was a personal remark, as his official position was to not support any candidates.

The Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives) will urge their voters to cast ballots for the party's current coalition partners – the Liberal Movement and the Liberal and Center Union – in single-mandate voting.

"We will first declare support to the Liberal Movement and our current partners Liberal Centrists, with an individual approach in some districts," said Raimundas Alekna, the head of the conservative party's election bureau.

According to him, decisions regarding electoral districts with candidates of the Labour Party and the Social Democrats in the run-off ballot will be made depending on coalitions in municipalities.

"We should first speak to local leaders who are best acquainted with the situation. A decision from above can only irritate people," Alekna said.

The Electoral Action of Poles decided to refrain from supporting any candidates in districts where its candidates are no longer running.

"We think votes cannot be used on any political markets. In case there is no member of the Electoral Action of Poles in a district, our suggestion is that people should pick a candidate at their own discretion," the party said in a press release.

The Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Party will not support any candidates of other parties on the party level, leaving the decision up to local branches.

The Liberal Movement and the Path of Courage plan to decide on Wednesday whom to support in electoral districts where their candidates did not qualify for the second round of voting.

The run-off voting will take place in 68 districts, while three mandates have already been won in the first round – by Social Democrat Algirdas Butkevičius in Vilkaviškis, Virginija Baltraitienė of the Labour Party in Kėdainiai, and Leonardas Talmontas of the Electoral Action of Poles in Vilnius-Šalčininkai district.

In the run-offs, 36 candidates of the Labour Party and 35 conservatives will compete for 68 mandates, as well as 28 Social democrats, nine candidates of the Path of Courage party, eight Order and Justice members, six candidates of the Liberal Movement and the Electoral Action of Poles each, four independent candidates, two members of the Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union and two members of the Liberal and Center Union.

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