May
22
Grybauskaite wins the first round of the presidential poll by a walk to polls
Vilnius, 17 may (EFE) .- La Dalia Grybauskaite eurocomisaria today won the first round of presidential elections in Lithuania, according to a random walk urn, although still it is unknown whether the turnout was sufficient to avoid a second round.
Grybauskaite, European Commissioner for Financial Programming and Budget, which appears as an independent candidate would receive 67.9 percent of the vote, according 4616 survey results cited by the voters whose daily digital Delfi.lt.
His closest rivals among the other six candidates, Social Democratic Party leader, Algirdas Butkevicius, the former prime minister Kazimira Prunskienė, leader of the Peasants' Union, received 11.8 and 4.5 per cent, respectively.
To succeed in the first round, a candidate must obtain more than half of the votes cast, provided that participation exceeds 50 percent of the census, and if less, must receive to win the votes of not less than one third of the electorate.
The Central Election Commission reported that one hour before closing the schools was 44.28 percent of the census, adding that those who voted in advance was 49.4 percent.
In the presidential Lithuanians cast their vote could be nearly 2.7 million voters registered in the census, the total of 3.4 million, but polls predicted that up to 46 percent of the electorate suggested not to go to the polls.
If no candidate gets proclaimed president in the first round, the two most voted will be measured in a second round on June 7, coinciding with elections to European Parliament.