Peasants, conservatives catching up with SocDems in popularity

The poll, conducted by Spinter Tyrimai between Sept. 19 and 27, showed three parties — the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), the Lithuanian Peasant and Green Union (LZVS) and the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) — neck-and- neck in the run-up to the October parliamentary elections.

Some 15.6 percent of respondents said they would vote for Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius‘ LSDP, down from 17.2 percent who said so a month earlier.

Fourteen percent would support Ramūnas Karbauskis‘ LZVS, up from 12.4 percent in August, and 13.7 percent would vote for Gabrielius Landsbergis‘ TS-LKD, up from 10.5 percent.

Further down the list are Valentinas Mazuronis‘ Labour Party with 5.2 percent, down from 6.6 percent, and Remigijus Šimašius‘ Liberal Movement with 5 percent, down from 6.3 percent.

The level of support for Rolandas Paksas‘ Order and Justice fell to 4.9 percent, from 5.1 percent.

The Anticorruption Coalition of Kristupas Krivickas and Naglis Puteikis is gaining support among potential voters, with its popularity rising to 4.6 percent in September, from 3.3 percent a month earlier, but it would still not clear the 7 percent hurdle for a coalition to win seats in multi-mandate constituencies.

The Electoral Action of Poles would get 4.2 percent of votes, slightly down from 4.7 percent in August, and the Lithuanian Freedom Union could expect 2.5 percent, down from 3 percent.

Another 2.5 percent of respondents said they would vote for another political party and 16.3 percent said they would not go to the polls

The remaining 11.5 percent were undecided or did not answer the question.

Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,013 people. The results of the poll, commissioned by Delfi, have an error margin of 3.1 percent.

Lithuania is holding the first round of general elections next Sunday.