The survey by Vilmorus for the Lietuvos Rytas daily showed the party, one of the defendants in a political corruption case, would receive 3.2 percent of votes from people who plan to vote or 2 percent of votes from all participants in the survey.
“It’s a very small number, shockingly small. They are the last among parties for the first time. It’s the lowest number in recent years, a record-low and diminishing rating,” Vilmorus director Vladas Gaidys told BNS Lithuania.
The Liberal Movement’s rating has been dropping several months in a row. A survey a month ago showed that 3.8 percent would vote for the party, and there were 4.7 percent a month earlier.
Gaidys believes the State Security Department‘s report and the start of the hearing of the political corruption case has had impact on the liberal party’s rating.
On Jun. 7, Vilnius Regional Court started hearing the MG Baltic and the political corruption case.
Formal charges in the case were brought against three legal entities — the Liberal Movement, the Labor Party and MG Baltic — and a number of natural persons, including former MG Baltic vice president Raimondas Kurlianskis, three former members of the Liberal Movement — Eligijus Masiulis, MP Gintaras Steponavičius and Šarūnas Gustainis — and Vytautas Gapšys, a former Labor Party lawmaker.
Kurlianskis is charged with giving bribes to Masiulis, Gustainis and Gapšys.
All the suspects have denied any wrongdoing.
The Labor Party and the Liberal Movement are charged with bribery, influence peddling and abuse of their position, and MG Baltic is suspected of having bribed the parties and of influence peddling.
The Vilmorus survey was carried out on Jun. 8-17.