Lithuania's Centre-right Opposition Eyes Power In Run-off

Vilnius, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Oct, 2020 ) :Lithuania's centre-right opposition appeared on track to oust the centre-left government in a run-off general election going ahead Sunday despite a record spike in coronavirus cases.

The rivals have focused on combating the pandemic and bridging the economic and educational gulf between rural and urban residents in the Baltic eurozone state of 2.8 million people.

As well as mandatory masks and social distancing in polling stations, drive-in voting has been made available as part of pandemic safety measures.

Despite the recent record surge in cases, coronavirus-related deaths are below the EU average while the International Monetary Fund forecasts the Lithuanian economy will contract just 1.

8 percent this year, the best result in the eurozone.

The opposition conservatives took 25 percent of the vote in the first round of voting on October 11. Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis's Farmers and Greens Union finished second with 17 percent.

Four other political parties entered parliament in the first round two weeks ago, which means there will likely be coalition talks after Sunday's run-off.

Political analyst Mazvydas Jastramskis told AFP the conservatives were expected to win, then forge a working majority in coalition with the liberals.

Tipped as the next prime minister, conservative ex-finance minister Ingrida Simonyte pledged to accelerate the economy's modernisation from a cheap labour model to higher-value manufacturing.