Clicky
World

Lithuania holds national vote, coalition talks expected


Bangladeshpost
Published : 11 Oct 2020 07:47 PM

Polls opened Sunday for the first round of Lithuania’s parliamentary election, where voters will choose 141 national lawmakers and the ruling four-party coalition is facing a stiff challenge from the opposition, reports AP.

Pre-election polls in the Baltic nation show the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, which now leads the coalition government, marginally ahead of the opposition conservative Homeland Union-Christian Democrats, the Social Democrats, the populist Labor party and the center-right Liberal Movement.

A recent surge in COVID-19 cases, soaring virus-related unemployment and economic challenges are the major issues that have sparked criticism of the current coalition government.

Five or six parties are expected to cross the 5% threshold to enter the Seimas assembly but none is likely to get more than 20% support, so horse-trading talks to form a new governing coalition are very likely after the election. The recent sharp rise in coronavirus infections in Lithuania and new restrictions to fight the spread of COVID-19 may affect turnout among the country’s 2.4 million registered voters. Some 7.3% have already cast their ballots in an early voting, according to the Central Electoral Commission.

A second round of voting has been set for Oct. 25 in constituencies where no candidate gets a majority. Many Lithuanians complain that government did not do enough to help companies during the nation’s  coronavirus lockdown, as the  unemployment rate jumped from  9% in February to more than  14% in October.  Others say the strict health regulations focused on fighting the virus left thousands of other patients without proper access to health services.