Labor party’s popularity up, liberals’ down – survey

The Vilmorus survey for the Lietuvos Rytas daily, published on Saturday, shows the conservative opposition Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats [TS-LKD] remains the most popular party in Lithuania, slightly leading over the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union [LVŽS].

16.3 percent of people would vote for the TS-LKD, if general elections were held now, down form 17.6 percent in April. And 14.4 would back the LVŽS, up from 11.9 percent last month.

The Order and Justice party came in third with 7.6 percent (7.2 percent in April), followed by the Labor Party whose rating jumped to 7.1 percent from just 2.9 percent in April.

The fact that Uspaskich is back leading the Labor Party has increased the number of those supporting the party, Vilmorus director Vladas Gaidys said.

“Now 10.3 percent of all voters would choose the Labor Party, from 2 percent in March and 4.6 percent in April,” Gaidys told BNS Lithuania.

The divided social democrats come further in the list. The newly-established Social Democratic Labor Party, led by Gediminas Kirkilas, would get 6.4 percent of votes, up from 5 percent in April. And the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, led by Gintautas Paluckas, would collect 5.1 percent, up from 4.9 percent last month.

MP Naglis Puteikis‘ Center Party would get 4.4 percent, up from 4 percent in April, and 3.8 percent would vote for the Liberal Movement which dropped to place eight, down from 4.7 percent in April.

The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance, led by MEP Valdemar Tomaševski, would be backed by 2.8 percent, slightly up from 2.7 percent a month ago.

The Vilmorus public opinion and market research center polled 1,030 people for the Lietuvos Rytas daily on May 4-12.