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| - Opposition conservatives took a strong lead in round one of Lithuania's parliamentary election, results showed Monday, but they are expected to face lengthy coalition talks after an October 25 run-off. Handling of the coronavirus pandemic and bridging economic disparities were key rallying points for candidates in Sunday's election in the Baltic eurozone state of 2.8 million people. The results from 99 percent of voting districts showed the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats winning 24.7 percent of the vote, followed by the ruling centre-left Farmers and Greens Union with 17.6 percent. Four parties are expected to enter parliament and no coalition deal is likely to be sealed before the run-off. Ex-finance minister Ingrida Simonyte, the 45-year-old conservative candidate for prime minister, said she was ready to forge a cross-party coalition deal on education and healthcare reform, policies that have made her popular among the urban young. Incumbent Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis is intent on building another centre-left coalition after round two. He secured the vote of 77-year-old Vilnius pensioner Antanina Oruzova who praised Skvernelis' record on "taking care of those who are worse-off". "I hope they will further increase pensions, maybe child benefits, maybe minimum salary," she told AFP after giving a vote for the Farmers and Greens Union. All major parties share a pro-EU and NATO platform, and back Vilnius's drive to rally support within the EU for neighbouring Belarus's democratic opposition after a disputed presidential election there. Despite a recent record surge in cases, Lithuania's coronavirus related-deaths are well below the EU average while finance ministry forecasts suggest the economy will contract just 1.5 percent this year, among the best outlooks in the eurozone. Drive-in voting was made available for the first time as part of pandemic safety measures. Masks and social distancing were mandatory in polling stations where voters also had to bring their own pens. Seventy members of Lithuania's 141-seat parliament are elected by proportional representation from party lists in round one. The remaining 71 will be chosen in single-member constituency races in two weeks' time. Initial results showed the conservatives claimed 23 seats compared to 16 won by the Farmers and Greens Union and nine for the populist Labour party. Social Democrats and two liberal parties won between six and eight mandates each. The election commission tallied turnout at 47.6 percent of the 2.45 million eligible voters. vab/mas/txw
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