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Incumbent PM concedes defeat in Lithuania presidential elections

Monday, 13 May 2019 2:19 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 13 May 2019 2:25 AM ]

Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis attends a public discussion in Vilnius, Lithuania on April 8, 2019. (Photo by AFP)

Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis has vowed to quit in July after being eliminated from a presidential runoff that will see an independent economist square off against a conservative on May 26.

Lithuanians voted for a new president on Sunday with concerns over income inequality and poverty dominating round one of a tight race in the Baltic eurozone state.

Voter turnout tallied at 56.45 percent at the close of voting on Sunday, according to the Central Elections Commission, which also said it expected to publish partial official results in the night or early on Monday.

Nine candidates vied to succeed two-term independent incumbent Dalia Grybauskaite. The politician nicknamed the "Iron Lady" for her strong resolve has been tipped as a contender to be the next president of the European Council.

Conservative ex-finance minister Ingrida Simonyte and independent economist Gitanas Nauseda have made it to an expected May 26 run-off that would coincide with European Parliament elections.

Simonyte is popular with wealthy, educated urban voters while Nauseda, an economist, seeks to bridge the rich-poor divide in the former Soviet republic of 2.8 million people, which joined the EU and NATO in 2004.

The country is struggling with a sharp decline in population owing to mass emigration to Western Europe by people seeking a better life.

A recent EU report noted that almost 30 percent of Lithuanians "are at risk of poverty or social exclusion" and that this risk is "nearly double" in rural areas.

"Citizens are thirsty for social justice and seek a candidate who can bridge existing social polarization," Donatas Puslys from the Vilnius Policy Analysis Institute told AFP.

Lithuanian presidents steer foreign policy, attending EU summits, but must consult with the government and the prime minister on appointing the most senior officials.

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