2024-05-08 09:26:31
Lithuanians cast their vote this time in the referendum – it is decided whether it will be necessary to change the Constitution and allow compatriots living abroad to retain their citizenship.
Until Thursday evening, voters will be able to vote in all 60 municipalities from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., regardless of where they have declared their place of residence.
For some, the choice was difficult
A news portal in Lukiškių Square of the capital, which has become one of the pre-voting locations lrytas.lt interviewed residents said that they hope for better next five years, and admit that some of them chose their candidate very difficult.
In the early morning, the rain did not frighten the voters – around 7:00 a.m., when the voting started, a small line of people was already lining up near the advance voting station. However, it soon dissipated when they entered, so residents who decided to come to vote before the start of the working day could rest assured that they would be able to do so in time.
Vilnius residents and residents of other cities, when asked why they vote in advance, cite convenience as the reason – in this case, they will no longer have to do it on Sunday, so they will be able to calmly wait for the results.
The voting procedure itself is very simple – when a person comes to the point, he must present his identity document, then he receives a special voting sheet from the employee, with which he must approach another employee. He submits two envelopes and two ballots – for the Presidential election and the referendum.
After filling them out, you need to put everything in the envelopes, return it to the employee, and after the latter affixes a special sticker, throw it into the ballot box. This can be done by every voter who comes, regardless of which precinct they normally vote in.
After 7 hours 53-year-old Gitana from Vilnius, who cast her vote, said that this time she chose her namesake, the current head of the country, Gitana Nausėdas.
“We checked – there was no better one in five years,” she argued for her choice, adding that she would like the newly elected president to continue the policy he started.
At that time, 32-year-old Kipras from Vilnius admitted that at first he was going to vote for Dainiai Žalima nominated by the Freedom Party, but changed his mind and finally decided to cast his vote for the conservative candidate Ingrida Šimonyta.
“It was a little difficult, but once I got to my ballot box, it became easy,” said Cyprus.
When asked what he expects after the next presidential election, the young man singled out the security aspect.
“I hope we’ll be safe and everything will be fine.” Of course, it wouldn’t hurt for the real estate bubble to burst, but hey, we can’t get everything,” said Kipras.
Jolanta, 54, from Vilnius, on her part, revealed that choosing a candidate was not easy. However, she also gave her vote to the current Prime Minister I. Šimonyte.
“You have common sense, competence, experience. I like her,” explained Jolanta.
The woman hopes that the new head of state will cooperate with the Seimas and the Government, which was somewhat lacking this term.
Juozas, a 57-year-old man from Vilnius, who was also met at the polling station, testified that he chose “stability” in these elections, and he decided to vote in advance because it was simply more convenient for him.
“As long as everything is fine, it doesn’t matter who is ‘in charge,'” he shared.
True, he did not name his clear candidate.
“Voting is still going on, so let everyone choose according to themselves what is better for whom,” advised Juozas.
At that time, 30-year-old Aira from Vilnius said that it was not difficult to choose who to vote for – according to her, some of the candidates she voted for earlier are still participating in the elections.
“I have a favorite candidate – let’s put it this way,” – to the portal lrytas.lt stated the young woman, who added that the most important priority of the new head of the country should be both foreign policy and Lithuania‘s well-being.
“It is also important that foreign policy should take care of, but not forget, the internal affairs of the state,” said Aira.
And here, 64-year-old Angonita from Vilnius did not specify who she voted for, but she clearly stated how the next five years should look like after these presidential elections.
“When you know and have been doing it for many years, without a doubt, it was not difficult to choose. But I won’t say for whom – that’s the secret of voting. Don’t want to influence.
Looking at our geopolitical situation, I think the most important thing is defense, national defense and understanding what statehood is. And that perception of what a citizen is. But I think the president cannot do anything alone – the nation, the citizens, must do it first.
It will never happen that a single president will do something if we ourselves don’t want it,” explained Angonita.
Politicians will also vote
The Minister of Economy and Innovation, Chair of the Freedom Party Aušrinė Armonaitė, Vilnius District Mayor Robertas Duchnevičius, Chairman of the Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union (LVŽS) Ramūnas Karbauskis and other politicians intend to vote in advance on Tuesday.
The main day for the presidential election and the referendum on the preservation of citizenship is Sunday. As informed by the Central Election Commission (CEC), the doors of the polling stations will also open at 7 am on May 12 and wait for voters until 8 pm.
On that day, it will be possible to vote in any polling station, a total of 1,895 places throughout Lithuania.
We remind you that 8 candidates will compete for the post of the head of the country – Gitanas Nausėda, who is seeking a second term, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė nominated by the conservatives, representative of the Freedom Party, former chairman of the Constitutional Court (KT) Dainius Žalimas, independent candidates Ignas Vėgėlė and Eduardas Vaitkus, of the party “Nemunos ausra”. founder Remigijus Žemaitaitis, Giedrimas Jeglinskas nominated by the Democratic Union “Vardan Lietuvos” and chairman of the Labor Party Andrius Mazuronis.
During the first round of presidential elections in Lithuania, residents will also vote in a referendum on multiple citizenship. In the referendum ballot, it will be proposed to abandon the sentence currently written in the Constitution: “except for the individual cases provided for by law, no one can be a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and another state at the same time”.
This provision does not allow the preservation of Lithuanian citizenship after acquiring the citizenship of another state.
2024-05-08 09:26:31