Lithuanian parliamentary election, 2000
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More than 58 per cent of the 2.6 million eligible voters turned out in the 8 October 2000 Lithuanian parliamentary election to choose from among the 1,180 candidates contesting the 70 seats allocated in the Seimas via proportional representation lists, and some 700 candidates competing for the 71 single-member constituency seats.
The main issue in the electoral campaign was the economy. The Social Democratic coalition promised higher social expenditure and less taxes, while the ruling Homeland Union announced the continuation of its austerity policy.
The results showed that the Parliament had swung to the left, with a crushing defeat for the ruling conservative Homeland Union. Two centre-left parties won the highest percentage of the popular vote, the Social Democratic coalition of former President Algirdas Brazauskas (31 per cent), and the New Union (Social Liberals), led by former Soviet prosecutor Artūras Paulauskas, that came in second (19.64 per cent). The centre-right Liberal Union party, headed by popular Vilnius mayor and former Prime Minister Rolandas Paksas, polled 17.25 per cent.
The Homeland Union won just 8.62 per cent of the vote and 8 seats, far less than the 40 per cent which it had won in 1996. It performed poorly in the single-member constituencies, winning only a single seat. Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius lost his constituency, as did several other cabinet ministers. As for the other single-member constituency seats, the Social Democratic coalition won 23, the Liberal Union 18, the New Union 11 and the Lithuanian Peasants Party 4. Former President Brazauskas' bloc won the most seats but fell short of the 71 needed to gain a majority in Parliament.
The results showed that Lithuanians had apparently sanctioned the outgoing government for the economic recession and the 12% unemployment brought about by the reforms that had stabilised the national budget in preparation for membership of the European Union and the NATO military alliance. This entry has been supported by all the parties with parliamentary representation, but some of them have criticised the increase in the defence budget to 2% of the GDP, the level recommended for NATO entry.
On 19 October 2000, the Seimas elected the New Union leader, Arturas Paulauskas, as its new Speaker. A few days later, on 24 October, President Valdas Adamkus appointed Rolandas Paksas as the new Prime Minister at the head of a four-party coalition government comprising the Liberal Union, the New Alliance, the Centre Union and the Modern Christian Democrats.[1]
Results
| Coalition | Party | Proportional votes | Seats | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Proportional | Constituency | Total | |||
| Social-Democratic Coalition of Algirdas Brazauskas |
Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania | 457,294 | 31.08 | 12 | 14 | 26 | |
| Social Democratic Party of Lithuania | 12 | 7 | 19 | ||||
| Union of the Russians of Lithuania | 3 | — | 3 | ||||
| New Democracy Party | 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| New Union (Social Liberals) | 288,895 | 19.64 | 17 | 11 | 28 | ||
| Liberal Union of Lithuania | 253,823 | 17.25 | 15 | 18 | 33 | ||
| Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservatives | 126,850 | 8.62 | 8 | 1 | 9 | ||
| Christian Democratic Union | 61,583 | 4.19 | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lithuanian Peasants Party | 60,040 | 4.08 | — | 4 | 4 | ||
| Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party | 45,227 | 3.07 | — | 2 | 2 | ||
| Lithuanian Centre Union | 42,030 | 2.86 | — | 2 | 2 | ||
| Union of Moderate Conservatives | 29,615 | 2.01 | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania | 28,641 | 1.95 | — | 2 | 2 | ||
| Lithuanian People’s Union "For Just Lithuania" | 21,583 | 1.47 | — | — | — | ||
| Lithuanian Liberty Union | 18,622 | 1.27 | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Union of "Young Lithuania", New Nationalists and Political Prisoners | 16,941 | 1.15 | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lithuanian Nationalist Union | Lithuanian Nationalists Union | 12,884 | 0.88 | — | — | — | |
| Lithuanian Liberty League | — | — | — | ||||
| Lithuanian Party "Social Democracy – 2000" | 7,219 | 0.49 | — | — | — | ||
| Independents | — | — | — | 3 | 3 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 68,496 | – | – | – | – | ||
| Total | 1,539,743 | 100.00 | 70 | 71 | 141 | ||
| Registered voters | 2,626,321 | 58.6 | – | – | – | ||
References
- ↑ Inter-Parliamentary Union , 2000.
- ↑ Lithuanian Election Committee (first round, second round)
- ↑ Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p1216 ISBN 9873832956097
External links
- The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Lithuania (English) (Lithuanian)
- SILBA EOM mission to Lithuania - Kaunas (English) (Lithuanian)
- Inter-Parliamentary Union Report on 2000 Elections
- 2000 Elections to the Seimas
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