Social Democratic Party wins Lithuania's parliamentary runoff

Negotiations will continue on forming a coalition among the Social Democrats, DSVL, and LVZS.

VILNIUS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania's opposition Social Democratic Party (LSDP) won parliamentary election runoff on Sunday, according to preliminary results of the Central Electoral Commission.

In the first round two weeks ago, LSDP won 20 seats in the Seimas, Lithuania's parliament, and in the second round held on Sunday, the party secured 32 single-mandate constituencies.

The ruling Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats came second in the elections and will provisionally have a faction of 28 members in the Seimas.

The Dawn of Nemunas will have 20 seats, followed by the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" (DSVL) with 14. The Liberal Movement of the Republic of Lithuania will have 12 seats in the Seimas, and the Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union (LVZS) eight.

"We, the Social Democrats, have achieved a historic victory, something we probably haven't seen in decades," LSDP leader Vilija Blinkeviciute told Baltic News Service (BNS) on Monday.

Blinkeviciute said negotiations on the formation of a coalition with both DSVL and LVZS will continue. The final decision on the governing coalition will be made by the presidium of LSDP, and then the council, she said, adding that the presidium's meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, while the council plans to vote next week.

If the three parties coalition is formed, they will become the ruling majority with 74 out of 141 seats in the Seimas.

Gabrielius Landsbergis, chairman of TS-LKD, announced at a press conference on Monday that he is stepping down as the party's leader after the Seimas elections. He told local media that he sees outgoing Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte as the party's next leader.

Landsbergis also announced that he will not serve in the next Seimas, which means that the mandate will go to the next politician on the party's list in the multi-member constituency.

Around 41.3 percent of voters cast ballots in the second round, data from the Central Electoral Commission showed on Sunday night after the polls closed.

The turnout is higher than in the runoff round of parliamentary elections in 2020, but below this year's first round turnout.

In 2020, about 39.24 percent of voters cast ballots in the second round, while a fortnight ago in this year's first round election, the turnout reached 52.18 percent. ■