Poll indicates pursuers of "new policy" most popular in Lithuania

Jul 13, 2000

Results published in the daily Respublika suggest the Social Liberals would get 10.4 percent of the votes and the Centrists 9.5 percent if the elections were held tomorrow. The popularity of the New Union dropped by 0.6 percent while that of the Center Union rose by 2.4 percent in the last month. The third most popular party, the Lithuanian Liberal Union, would collect 8.5 percent of the votes, indicating a 1.1 percent drop in one month. The three parties recently declared that they would pursue the "new policy" suggested by President Valdas Adamkus in a televised speech.

The opposition Lithu-anian Democratic Labor Party (LDDP) would make it over the required five-percent barrier with 5.5 percent of the votes, along with the Lithuanian Farmers' Party at 5.3 percent and the Lithuanian Social Demo-cratic Party with 5.1 percent.

According to the poll carried out by a joint Lithu-anian-British market and public opinion research company, Baltijos Tyrimai, the ruling Conservatives and their former coalition partners, the Christian Democrats, would not get over the barrier with respective support of 3.5 percent and 2.5 percent. Parties must surpass a five percent barrier to place their candidates in Parliament. Half Lithuania's 141-seat legislative body is elected in the proportional stage of the polls. Another 71 lawmakers are elected in single-seat districts.

Other Lithuanian parties collected less than one percent of the votes. Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus remains in the top of the popularity list, followed by his predecessor, Algirdas Brazauskas.

The decreased popularity of Vilnius' mayor, Liberal Union leader Rolandas Paksas, has seen him drop to the fourth position, while the head of the New Union, Arturas Paulauskas, ranked third. Fifth place belongs to the leader of the Christian Democratic Union, MP Kazys Bobelis, an eight- point rise since May.

The next five include Social Democratic Party Chairman Vytenis Andriukaitis, Centrist leader Romualdas Ozolas, Centrist Egidijus Bickauskas, Moderate Conservative MP Nijole Ozelyte and LDDP leader Ceslovas Jursenas.

Leaders of the ruling Conservative Party, Parliamentary Chairman Vytautas Landsbergis and Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, did not make it to the top 20.

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