The FINANCIAL — VILNIUS, The center-right conservative party has won Sunday's parliamentary elections in Lithuania, according to preliminary results, the Baltic state's top election authority said on October 27.
The Homeland Union-Christian Democrat party took 44 seats in the country's 141-member parliament, the Seimas, falling short of an outright majority, but it is expected that the party will seek a coalition.
The party's leader and a former prime minister, Andrus Kubilius, told the press on October 26 he had arranged a meeting with leaders of two liberal parties and the National Revival Party to start talks on forming a ruling center-right alliance.
The two liberal parties, the Liberal and Center Union and the Liberal Union, won a total of 17 seats, and the National Revival Party finished third with 16 seats.
Kubilius said the coalition would not include the ruling Social Democrats, which came second in the polls with 24 seats.
The ruling Social Democrats have lost popularity over their economic policies and, in particular, rampant inflation, as well as being hit by a number of political scandals since coming to power in 2001.
A new coalition is expected to push through economic reforms in Lithuania, an EU and NATO member since 2004, to try and boost economic growth and employment amid the global credit crunch.
President Valdas Adamkus has already pledged to offer the prime minister's post to the winning party.
