Monday 15 October 2012

Lithuania election: Voters 'dump austerity government'

Lithuanians have voted out their conservative government after one of the world's deepest recessions, incomplete results suggest.

Two leftist parties, Labour and the Social Democrats, appear to have finished first and second, and their leaders have met to discuss coalition.

Correspondents said PM Andrius Kubilius' government had been punished for cutting pensions and public wages.

Separately, Lithuanians voted against plans for a new nuclear power station.

The government said the plant would cut dependence on imported Russian energy.

But other parties questioned its affordability. The result from Sunday's referendum is non-binding, but leaves a big question mark over the future of the proposed plant.
Austerity unpopular
In the general election, with counting complete in three-quarters of voting districts, the Labour party had 21%, with the Social Democrats on 19%.

Prime Minister Kubilius' Homeland Union had 13%.

Even before complete results were in, the leaders of Labour, the Social Democrats and the lower-placed Order and Justice met in a Vilnius hotel.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-19940043

No comments:

Post a Comment