Published: Sunday, May 12, 2020
VILNIUS (Lithuania) — Lithuanians held a presidential vote on Sunday, as Russian gains in Ukraine fuel greater concerns about Moscow’s intentions. This is especially true in the strategic Baltic region.
Gitanas Nuseda was the favorite to win a second five-year term. There were eight candidates, so it was difficult for any of them to get the 50% needed to win the election on Sunday. If that is the case, there will be a runoff on May 26.
The polls closed at 8 pm local time (1700 GMT). The Central Electoral Commission reported that the initial voter turnout was 59.4%. This is higher than the previous election held in 2019. The results are expected to be announced early on Monday.
In Lithuania, the president is responsible for overseeing the foreign and security policies and serving as the supreme command of the armed services. The position is given more importance in Lithuania, a relatively small country that occupies a strategic location on NATO’s east flank. Tensions between Russia and the west are rising over Moscow’s invasion into Ukraine.
Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, is sandwiched by Lithuania and Poland in the north and east. The latest Russian gains in northeastern Ukraine have caused great concern among Lithuanians, as well as their neighbors Latvia and Estonia.
After the fall of the Soviet Union, all three Baltic States declared their independence and moved westwards. They joined both the European Union (EU) and NATO.
Nauseda, a conservative moderate who will turn 60 one week after the Sunday election. Ingrida Simonyte (49), the former finance minister and current prime minister, is one of his main opponents. He beat her in a 2019 runoff with 66.5% votes.
Ignas Veele is another candidate. He’s a populist attorney who became popular during the COVID-19 epidemic, when he opposed restrictions and vaccines.
Nauseda’s first term ends in July.
Also on Sunday, a referendum was held. A referendum was also on the ballot Sunday.
Lithuanian citizens must now give up their Lithuanian citizenship if they adopt another nationality. This is not good news for the Baltic nation, whose population has dropped from 3.5 millions in 1990 to just 2.8 million.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has for the first time declined an invitation from Lithuania to observe elections.
The Lithuanian government wanted monitors from Russia to be excluded, claiming that both nations — members of the 57 member organization — were a threat to the country’s political and electoral process.
OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights stated that Lithuania had violated the rules signed when it joined the organisation. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights said Lithuania was breaking the rules it signed when it joined the organization.
Source: ABC News