Lithuania votes to elect president amid concerns over Russia-Ukraine war
Al Jazeera
The Baltic state of 2.8 million people fears it could be next in Russia’s crosshairs if Moscow wins its war against Ukraine.
Lithuanians are voting in their country’s presidential election, at a critical time amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, affecting the strategically important Baltic country.
Polls opened at 7am (04:00 GMT) on Sunday morning and will close by the evening, with popular incumbent, Gitanas Nauseda, likely to win another five-year term in office.
However, with eight candidates running, it may be challenging for any of them to gather 50 percent of the votes needed to win outright. In this instance, a run-off vote will be held on May 26.
Nauseda is a moderate conservative, and one of his main challengers is Ingrida Simonyte, the current prime minister and former finance minister, whom he beat in a run-off in 2019 with 66 percent of the votes.
Another contender is Ignas Vegele, a populist lawyer who gained notoriety during the COVID-19 pandemic for opposing restrictions and vaccines.
