Roundup: First direct mayoral elections end in Lithuania

More than 30 percent out of around 2 millions Lithuanians eligible to vote cast their votes in the run-off of the first direct mayoral elections of Lithuania on Sunday.

According to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), voting activity amounted to 32.2 percent until 19:00 local time (1700 GMT), in comparison with almost 40 percent in the first round of elections held two weeks ago in conjunction with municipal elections to city and town councils. Voting stations closed at 20:00.

During the early voting earlier this week, 5.13 percent of voters expressed their will, according to the data from the CEC.

The total voting activity was high enough and should reach 38 to 39 percent, Zenonas Vaigauskas, head of CEC, told reporters. In the first round on March 1, 47.19 percent of voters cast their votes.

The second round of ballot was held in 40 out of 60 Lithuanian municipalities, where mayors haven't been elected in the first round.

The highest voter turnout was registered in Varena district, with 41.46 percent of local voters to cast their votes, while the lowest activity was in port city Klaipeda regional district.

Meanwhile, voter turnout in capital city Vilnius stood at 37.54 percent.

In the second round voters had to choose between two candidates who received the most votes in the first round held two weeks ago.

VILNIUS BATTLE

The closely watched battle is in capital city of Vilnius. Arturas Zuokas, incumbent mayor and the leader of liberal party Lithuanian Freedom Union, said he hoped to maintain the mayoral office.

"I am an active person, I am a creator, not destroyer, while opposition tends to destroy," he commented on possibility to work in the opposition at Vilnius municipal council, while speaking in a special electoral show by local broadcaster LRT.

Remigijus Simasius, representing Liberals' Movement of Lithuania, said he was only thinking about a positive outcome for him.

"Vilnius is in a need of a new wind," Simasius said.

Algirdas Butkevicius, Lithuanian Prime Minister, said he hoped the new mayor of Lithuanian capital Vilnius will work closely with the government, especially while implementing the most infrastructural projects in the city.

"Changes are always welcomed because life calls for them; of course, there are many problems in Vilnius, and my goal would be that the mayor and his team would effectively cooperate with the government, particularly on the projects planned by the government," Butkevicius was quoted as saying by ELTA news agency.

Liberal parties are the main participants in Lithuania's other two largest cities, Kaunas and Klaipeda port-city.

In Kaunas, Lithuania's second largest city, Andrius Kupcinskas, incumbent mayor representing the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, was wrestling with Visvaldas Matijosaitis, local businessman and the leader of public election committee.

"If I became a mayor, my first job would be to reduce price of utilities services in Kaunas," Matijosaitis told reporters after casting his vote in Kaunas.

Kupcinskas did not forecast the outcome of the vote, while saying that he was ready to work both in ruling office or opposition.

While in Klaipeda port-city, Vytautas Grubliauskas, incumbent mayor and his rival, and Agne Bilotaite, representing Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, were competing for the position.

According to analysts, Simasius in Vilnius, Matijosaitis in Kaunas and Grubliauskas in Klaipeda were seen as the most likely winners of the run-off.

Direct mayoral elections are being held in Lithuania for the first time. The Seimas, the Lithuanian Parliament, backed the idea of direct elections last year seeking to increase responsibility of mayors and improve voting activity in municipal elections. Previously mayors were elected by municipal councils. Endit