1,500 candidates to compete for 141 seats in Lithuanian parliament

With about two months left until the general elections, political parties must submit their final application documents to Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission by the end of Friday. About 1,500 candidates will vie for 141 seats in the Lithuanian Seimas, according to estimates.

By mid-July, 19 political parties have expressed interest in running for parliament. However, some changed their minds or could not afford the participation deposit, so the expected final number is 13-15 parties, VZ.lt reports.

Independent candidates also have until today to submit all the necessary documents to the Central Electoral Commission.

The final candidate lists will be announced on September 8, exactly one month before the elections.

Half of the 141 MPs in Lithuania are elected via proportional representation (but parties have to cross the 5% threshold to be awarded seats) and the rest in single-member constituencies.

VZ.lt has presented its predictions on how many seats each of the seven most popular parties will get in the new Seimas.

The Social Democratic Party 35-40
Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats 25-30
The Peasant and Greens Union 23-27
The Labour Party 10-15
The Liberal Movement 10-15
Order and Justice 8-12
The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania 2-7