11 October 2004	Monday	25 Shaban 1425

VILNIUS, Oct 10: A party led by a controversial Russian-born millionaire won the most votes in Sunday's first round of parliamentary elections in Lithuania, but its opponents also performed strongly, an exit poll showed.

The elections were the first to be held for the 141-member parliament, the Seimas, since Lithuania joined the European Union in May and the expected success of Viktor Uspaskich's opposition Labour Party had raised fears of Moscow's influence in the former Soviet Baltic state.

The Labour Party, set up only last year, captured 28.32 per cent of the vote, an exit poll by the Lithuanian polling agency Rait showed.

The ruling left-wing coalition of the Social Democrat and Social Liberal parties, led by Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas and parliamentary speaker Arturas Paulauskas, was in second place with 20.45 per cent. -AFP