Lithuanian parliamentary election, 1996

Lithuanian parliamentary election, 1996

20 October and 10 November 1996
139 seats to the Seimas 70 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party   99px Leader Vytautas Landsbergis Algirdas Saudargas Party Homeland Union LKDP Last election 0 seats 18 Seats won 70 16 Seat change +70 -2 Popular vote 409,585 (proportional) 136,259 (proportional) Percentage 31.34% (proportional) 10.43% (proportional)
Prime Minister before election Mindaugas Stankevicius LDDP Prime Minister-designate Gediminas Vagnorius Homeland Union

Parliamentary elections were held in Lithuania in two stages on 20 October and 10 November 1996. The first round of this parliamentary election was held concurrently with a referendum to amend Articles 55, 57 and 131 of the constitution, and a referendum on the use of proceeds from privatization. The second round was held concurrently with a referendum to amend Article 47 of the constitution.

72 MPs were elected on proportional party lists and 69 MPs in single member constituencies; in those constituencies where no candidate gained more than 50% of the vote on 20 October, a run-off was held on 10 November.

Background

On 9 April 1996, a decree issued by President of the Republic Algirdas Brazauskas set the election date for 20 October and the second round of voting, if necessary, for 10 November.

The main contestants were the ruling Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (LDLP), the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (successor of the Communist Party of Lithuania and led by Česlovas Juršėnas), and the Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservative Party, founded in 1993 from elements of Sajudis (the Reform Movement which had paved the way to sovereignty) and led by Vytautas Landsbergis, considered the hero of Lithuania's independence drive in 1991. The Conservatives' allies were the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party and the Centre Union. Pre-election polls favoured the right-wing opposition over LDLP, which was criticised for the country's economic stagnation and had been plagued by financial scandals, including one involving former Prime Minister Adolfas Šleževičius. As the rival forces generally agreed on foreign policy (especially affiliation to NATO and the European institutions), the economy was at the forefront of campaign debate, as it was four years earlier when LDLP had won out on the same basis. Landsbergis, for his part, ran on an anti-corruption platform, promising improvement and stability on the domestic scene. Altogether 1352 candidates (considerably more than in 1992) vied for the 141 seats at stake.

Polling day was marked by a relatively low turnout. Only two of the 71 majority seats were won outright in the first round, with runoffs on 10 November being required for 65 others (new elections were to be held in the four remaining constituencies). The second round also saw a low turnout. Final results gave the edge to the conservative camp, which was markedly more unified than in the past. The election was won by the Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservative Party, which gained 70 seats.

Results

Party	Proportional			Constituency						Total seats
				First round			Second round
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
Homeland Union – Lithuanian Conservatives	409,585	31.34	33	376,081	28.65	2	407,645	42.40	35	70
Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party	136,259	10.43	11	173,761	13.24	0	138,309	14.39	5	16
Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania	130,837	10.01	10	146,006	11.12	0	105,103	10.93	2	12
Centre Union of Lithuania	113,333	8.67	9	89,452	6.81	0	52,878	5.50	4	13
Lithuanian Social-Democrat Party	90,756	6.94	7	95,499	7.28	0	52,058	5.41	5	12
Young Lithuania	52,423	4.01	0	22,052	1.68	0	13,845	1.44	1	1
Lithuanian Women's Party	50,494	3.86	0	36,453	2.78	0	8,960	0.93	1	1
Lithuanian Christian Democratic Union	42,346	3.24	0	20,711	1.58	0	8,702	0.91	1	1
Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania	40,941	3.13	0	36,434	2.78	0	15,216	1.58	1	1
Alliance of the Lithuanian National Minorities	33,389	2.55	0	22,252	1.70	0	18,378	1.91	0	0
Lithuanian Nationalist Union	28,744	2.20	0	33,712	2.57	0	32,628	3.39	1	1
Lithuanian Democratic Party				16,096	1.25	0	16,154	1.68	2	2
Liberal Union of Lithuania	25,279	1.93	0	34,842	2.65	0	15,989	1.66	1	1
Lithuanian Peasants Party	22,826	1.75	0	29,135	2.22	0	10,377	1.08	1	1
Union of the Russians of Lithuania	22,395	1.71	0	11,437	0.87	0	–	–	0	0
Lithuanian Union of Political Prisoners and Deportees	20,580	1.57	0	24,797	1.89	0	8,685	0.90	1	1
Lithuanian Liberty Union	20,511	1.57	0	12,456	0.95	0	6,823	0.71	0	0
Lithuanian Party of Economy	16,475	1.26	0	26,609	2.03	0	6,665	0.69	0	0
Lithuanian Liberty League	12,562	0.96	0	6,557	0.50	0	–	–	0	0
Lithuanian Social Justice Union	12,234	0.94	0	6,555	0.50	0	–	–	0	0
Lithuanian Socialist Party	9,985	0.76	0	5,820	0.44	0	–	–	0	0
Republican Party	5,063	0.39	0	12,153	0.93	0	–	–	0	0
National Progress Party	3,922	0.30	0	6,392	0.49	0	–	–	0	0
Lithuanian Party Life's Logic	3,361	0.26	0	4,071	0.31	0	–	–	0	0
Lithuanian Peoples Party	2,622	0.20	0	2,088	0.16	0	–	–	0	0
Non-Partisan Movement "Elections 96"	–	–	–	12,369	0.92	0	–	–	0	0
Independence Party	–	–	–	1,884	0.14	0	–	–	0	0
Lithuanian Reform Party	–	–	–	1,389	0.11	0	–	–	0	0
Independents	–	–	–	45,595	3.47	0	42,969	4.47	4	4
Vacant	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4	4
Invalid/blank votes	67,751	–	–	62,015	–	–		–	–	–
Total	1,374,673	100	70	1,374,673	100	2	961,384	100	69	141
Registered voters/turnout	2,597,530	52.92	–	–	–		–	38.16	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver, European Elections Database

^a Four seats were left vacant as turnout did not reach the required level of 40%.

Aftermath

On 25 November, the newly elected Seimas held its first session and elected Landsbergis as Speaker. The new Council of Ministers, headed by Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius, was formed on 4 December. Vagnorius would go on to serve as Prime Minister and the head of a coalition government that included the Lithuanian Christian Democrats under Algirdas Saudargas, who was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.

External links

• The Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Lithuania (English) (Lithuanian)
• SILBA EOM mission to Lithuania - Kaunas (English) (Lithuanian)
• 1996 Seimas Election Results