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| Europe |
| Lithuania: populists poised for a strong showing |
| 2008-10-12 |
| Two populist parties appeared poised for a strong showing Sunday in parliamentary elections that could usher in a governing coalition aligned more toward Russia than Europe. The vote also features a nonbinding referendum on whether to keep a flawed, Soviet-era nuclear plant operating beyond its scheduled closure. The Chernobyl-style nuclear plant's design flaws scare EU members, who insist that it be closed on its scheduled date in December 2009. Many Lithuanians claim that shutting down the Ignalina plant, which gives them energy independence, will leave them vulnerable to Russia, an unreliable energy supplier. One recent poll indicated more than 70 percent of Lithuanians support a postponement of the closure. All major parties favor extending the life of the plant. The governing Social Democrats, who have held the post of prime minister since 2001, appeared to be struggling to pass the 5 percent barrier needed to make it into the 141-member parliament. A poll published Sept. 25 of 1,001 voters by Lietuvos Rytas, the country's top daily, showed that Rolandas Paksas' Order and Justice and Viktor Uspaskich's Labor Party parties could muster more than 20 percent of the combined vote, while the right-wing Fatherland Union, a ferocious rival to both parties, can expect 12 percent. The remaining share of the vote appeared to be split between smaller parties. Twenty percent of voters were undecided. The margin of error was 3 percent. Election officials said that by 1200GMT, five hours before polls closed, over 25 percent of registered voters had participated. If victorious, Paksas, an impeached former president, and Uspaskich, who made his fortune in Lithuania selling jarred pickles, could form the backbone of a populist coalition that would likely talk tough to the European Union on the nuclear plant and improve relations with neighboring Russia. A victory for the populists would be a tremendous blow for President Valdas Adamkus, who has fought bitterly with both Paksas and Uspaskich and has appealed to the electorate not to vote on an emotional impulse. Lithuania, which regained independence in 1991 amid the collapse of the Soviet Union, experienced an economic boom after joining the EU 2004. However, the economy overheated and like its Baltic neighbors, Lithuania is now struggling with high inflation and slumping growth. Paksas was impeached in 2004 for violating the Constitution and abuse of office, making him the first European head of state to be impeached and removed from office. Though he is constitutionally barred from occupying public office, he could wield tremendous influence on the sidelines. Uspaskich was forced to resign from the economy minister's post after coming under investigation for a conflict of interest case involving Russia, where he was born. |
| Posted by:ed |