VILNIUS - Valdas Adamkus, Lithuania's head of state from 1998 to 2003, was returned to his former post by a thin but convincing margin on June 27. The election, which gave Adamkus 52.6 percent of the vote to opponent Kazimira Prunskiene's 47.4 percent, closed the most turbulent chapter of Lithuania's postindependence democracy, which included the impeachment of President Rolandas Paksas on charges of violating oath of office and constitution.
In the two-week campaign that followed the first round of elections, in which Adamkus edged Prunskiene 30.7 percent to 21.4 percent, the candidates were painted as representatives of the two diametrically opposite factions that had threatened to tear the country apart in the course of the lengthy scandal resulting in Paksas' impeachment.
While Adamkus, 77, ran a campaign that touted his record for integrating Lithuania in the major military and economic institutions, Prunskiene was plagued with allegations of ties to "eastern" elements, a suspicion sharpened by previous charges of her ties to the KGB.
Polls further showed that Prunskiene's support base was grounded firmly in groups-such as rural residents and minorities-that had voted for the populist Paksas over Adamkus in the January 2003 elections that routed the latter from power. Paksas voiced his support for Prunskiene in both rounds and went so far as to hold a consultation with her on the evening of election, raising suspicions that he could have jockeyed for a position in her administration.
Because of the close associations between the impeached president and his would-be protege bulwarks of the political mainstream rejoiced in Adamkus' victory as the incontrovertible conclusion of Paksas' stormy reign, which ultimately resulted in Lithuania's partial isolation from the international community.
"The Lithuanian people have chosen the West," Adamkus said at a press conference held the day following the election.
At the summit of NATO leaders held in Istanbul during the election, U.S. President George Bush asked acting President Arturas Paulauskas to "give his congratulations" to Adamkus.
Bush accepted Adamkus' invitation to come to Vilnius on a state visit in November 2002.
According to Paulauskas, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Aleksander Kwasniewski, her Polish counterpart, also expressed an unusual degree of interest in the election's outcome.
Yet in spite of the jubilation among the capital's political elite and warm greetings from abroad, Prunskiene's camp wasted no time in raising charges of election fraud.
Prunskiene's lawyers filed a complaint on June 29 with the office of the General Prosecutor contending that falsification of ballots had taken place in Kaunas, Adamkus' biggest center of support.
At a press conference held the day after the election, Prunskiene claimed that the number of valid ballots in 46 Kaunas voting precincts had inexplicably increased when the Central Election Commission updated its web page the night of the election.
"If someone can explain this miracle, we'll be happy," said the defeated Prunskiene.
Election officials have categorically denied the claims of counterfeiting, which were first publicly aired by Paksas before the incident in question actually took place.
"We have no evidence whatsoever that anything went wrong," Central Election Commission Chairman Zenonas Vaigauskas told The Baltic Times. "I think it is also strange that her campaign did not attend the ballot-counting, even though we, of course, invited them."
With analysts giving Prunskiene little chance of winning her appeal, Adamkus has set about the task of forming his new team of advisers. Among the names being mentioned for top posts are diplomats Darius Degutis and Edminas Bagdonas as well as Vilniaus Bankas, executive Gitana Nauseda and law professor Toma Birmontiene, none of whom served in an official capacity during Adamkus' first term.
Adamkus' previous advisers came under fire for exerting too much influence on the aging president, while several members of Paksas' administration are currently under investigation for wrongdoing committed while at the Presidential Palace.
Meanwhile, Prunskiene, who leads the Peasants' and New Democracy Party, began looking forward to this autumn's parliamentary elections in spite of her defeat in the presidential polls, declaring her intention to be elected as prime minister.
When asked by reporters on June 29 what would be the most desirable ruling coalition in which her party could participate, Prunskiene replied: "The one we're a part of."
