VILNIUS — 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.
Saulius Skvernelis, chairman of DSVL, arrived at the headquarters of the winning LSDP on Sunday night after the preliminary results of the Seimas elections were announced.
He and LSDP leader Vilija Blinkeviciute met to discuss working together in a future coalition. “We will continue the consultations,” Blinkeviciute told the Baltic News Service (BNS).
Around 41.30 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, 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.