Profile of MP candidate in Lithuania – 48-yr-old with university degree

According to the information, 1,416 individuals (more than two thirds of them are men) are running for the Oct. 9 general elections.

Men account for up to 77 percent of candidates representing the country’s largest parties, and only the joint candidate list of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and the Union of Christian Families include more females than males (52 pct of females and 48 pct of females).

The age average of the candidates is 48.9 years, with the oldest being 88.

The majority of the candidates – 72 percent – indicated having university degrees, 2.6 percent said they had higher education, 1.6 percent said they had secondary education with vocational qualifications and 1.1 percent had secondary education. Almost a fourth of the candidates did not indicate any education at all.

According to data provided in the applications, the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives) and the Liberal Movement have the highest percentage of candidates with university degrees.

Nearly 65 percent of the candidates are married. About a tenth of the candidates are single, over 2 percent are widowed. Another 9 percent indicated being divorced, and 14 percent did not provide any data about their marital status.

Among the candidates for this year’s elections for parliament, Vytautas and Kęstutis are the most popular male names, while Irena is the most popular female name.

According to data provide by the Central Electoral Commission, 34 candidates (2.45 pct) specified their criminal convictions in their applications, with the highest number of candidates with criminal past nominated by the Way of Courage party (seven), while the Order and Justice party nominated five and the Lithuanian People’s Party proposed four.

In terms of properties, the Liberal Movement’s candidates are the wealthiest, with average property per candidate standing at 264,146 euros, as compared to 205,787 euros per candidate of the Lithuanian Peasant and Green Union and 186,764 euros per candidate of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the election watchdog said.