Roundup: Voting in municipal elections kicks off in Lithuania

Early voting kicked off in municipal elections in Lithuania, with President Dalia Grybauskaite casting her vote among the first voters on Wednesday.

The head of state did not disclose who and what party she voted for, except mentioning that her vote did not go for two candidates running for capital Vilnius mayor office.

"I definitely didn't vote for two persons, definitely no," Grybauskaite was quoted as saying by BNS news agency.

There are 12 candidates for the mayor post in the capital Vilnius.

Grybauskaite took a chance to vote early due to her working trip to Chile from where she will not be back until Sunday.

Early voting is held on Wednesday and Thursday for voters who will not be able to cast their votes on the day of the elections on March 1.

Voting by post also started on Wednesday and will be held until Friday for voters who are in health or social care, are performing military service and few other circumstances under which citizens are unable to arrive at a polling district to vote.

This year, for the first time in Lithuania, direct mayor elections will be held. Previously mayors were elected by municipal councils.

It is believed that the new electoral principle will have a positive impact on the development of democracy in the country, increase responsibility of mayors and may stimulate a higher turnout in the municipal elections.

Some 2.54 million voters are eligible to vote in the current municipal and mayoral elections in Lithuania. A total of 1,524 members of city and town municipal councils will be elected during the ballot, including 60 mayors. Endit