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LITHUANIA
Seimas (Parliament)
ELECTIONS HELD IN 2004

A historical Archive of past election results for this chamber can be found on a separate page

Parliament name (generic / translated) Seimas / Parliament
Structure of parliament Unicameral
BACKGROUND
Dates of election / renewal (from/to) 10 October 2004
Timing and scope of renewal Elections were held for all the seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Lithuanians went to the polls on 10 October 2004 in the country's first parliamentary election since joining NATO and the European Union in May 2004.

In all twenty political parties contested the elections. Some 1 193 candidates stood in the 70 constituencies where the vote was proportional while some 607 stood in the 71 remaining single-member constituencies. A second round ballot was scheduled to take place on 24 October in those of the 67 constituencies where no candidate received more than half the vote.

Public opinion polls indicated that the Labour Party founded in 2003 and headed by a wealthy Russian-born businessman Mr. Viktor Uspaskich was likely to emerge as the largest group in Parliament. The governing left-wing coalition "Working for Lithuania" of the Social Democrat and Social Liberal parties led by Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas and parliamentary Speaker Arturas Paulauskas was predicted to come in second followed by the Homeland Union and the Liberal Centre Union.

During the electoral campaign Mr. Uspaskich promised higher living standards and war on political corruption. His party's message was welcomed in rural areas where people felt they had been left behind by surging prosperity in the cities and among many urban voters who declared corruption to be their number one concern. The ruling coalition campaigned using the results of the three and a half years they had spent in power a record in longevity in independent Lithuania's history. They promised a number of social measures such as an increase in the average salary and retirement pensions over the next four years. Both coalition parties also promised to lower the unemployment rate to 8 per cent and to increase the Lithuanian GDP by a third so that it represents 60 per cent of the European average by 2008. On the conservative side the Homeland Union emphasised the need for a strong State the only way in its opinion to protect Lithuania from any possible threat from Russia.

Turnout was low with only 46.08 per cent of registered voters casting ballots but well above the 25 per cent threshold required to make the vote valid.

The results of the first round of elections showed that the Labour Party had polled about 28 per cent of the vote obtaining 22 of the 70 seats distributed by proportional election and one seat from a single-seat constituency. The coalition "Working for Lithuania" was second gaining slightly more than 20 per cent of the vote for 16 of the seats elected proportionally and 3 seats in the majority system while the Homeland Union obtained nearly 15 per cent winning 11 seats in the nationwide constituency. The "For the Order and Justice" coalition headed by the recently deposed President Rolandas Paksas and formed by the Liberal Democratic Party and the Lithuanian People's Union "For the Fair Lithuania" gained 11 per cent and 9 seats the Liberal and Centre Union 9 per cent and 7 seats and the Union of Farmers' Party and New Democracy Party coalition polled nearly 7 per cent and obtained 5 seats.

In 66 constituencies where no candidate had obtained the required majority voters returned to the polls on 24 October 2004. In this second round the Labour Party obtained 16 seats while the Homeland Union won 14 and the coalition "Working for Lithuania" 12. The Liberal and Centre Union obtained 11 seats the Union of Farmers' Party and New Democracy Party 5 while the Coalition "For the Order and Justice" and the Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action one seat each. Six independent candidates also gained seats.
STATISTICS
Voter turnout
Round no 110 October 2004
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes
2'664'167
1'227'301 (46.07%)
32'949
1'194'352
Notes
Round no 224 October 2004
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes
2'486'750
999'980 (40.21%)
38'066
961'914
Notes
Distribution of votes
Round no 1
Political Group Candidates Votes %
Labour Party 140 340'035 28.44
Coalition "Working for Lithuania" 140 246'852 20.65
Homeland Union 100 176'409 14.75
Coalition "For the Order and Justice" 137 135'807 11.36
Liberal and Centre Union 141 109'872 9.19
Union of Farmers' Party and New Democracy Party 115 78'902 6.60
Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action 128 45'302 3.79
Round no 2
Political Group Candidates Votes %
Labour Party
Homeland Union
Coalition "Working for Lithuania"
Liberal and Centre Union
Others
Union of Farmers' Party and New Democracy Party
Coalition "For the Order and Justice"
Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action
Distribution of seats
Round no 1
Political Group Total
Labour Party 23
Coalition "Working for Lithuania" 19
Homeland Union 11
Coalition "For the Order and Justice" 9
Liberal and Centre Union 7
Union of Farmers' Party and New Democracy Party 5
Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action 1
Round no 2
Political Group Total
Labour Party 16
Homeland Union 14
Coalition "Working for Lithuania" 12
Liberal and Centre Union 11
Others 6
Union of Farmers' Party and New Democracy Party 5
Coalition "For the Order and Justice" 1
Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action 1
Distribution of seats according to sex
Men
Women
Percent of women
110
31
21.99%
Distribution of seats according to age
Distribution of seats according to profession
Comments
Source: Central Electoral Committee of the Republic of Lithuania

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