October 10, 2008	Friday	Shawwal 10, 1429

VILNIUS: Parliament is the least trusted institution in Lithuania, so the appeal of a fresh face is strong. That is why the host of an “American Idol”-style show may do well in Sunday’s election.

Founded by talent show presenter Arunas Valinskas just a few months ago, the National Resurrection Party scored 10 per cent in a recent poll of people who planned to vote, which would make it fifth biggest in the 141-seat assembly.

It would also give the host of “Stars Gate” a seat.

Along with former Lithuanian president Rolandas Paksas – a stunt pilot and the only European leader to be removed from office by impeachment – and Russian-born millionaire Viktor Uspaskich – nicknamed the “Gherkin King” after one of his food businesses – he will spice up the poll.

But with turnout set to be feeble as this small Baltic state votes in the eye of a global financial storm, the outcome may well seem irrelevant to a population grappling with inflation and heading towards a sharp slowdown.

“It’s a dialogue of the deaf and the blind,” wrote columnist Vytautas Bruveris recently in daily Lietuvos rytas, saying the parties lack clear positions, particularly about how to tackle the financial crisis or health care and education reform.Older parties like the Social Democrats, the main ruling coalition partner, and the centre-right opposition Homeland Union are struggling for support: inflation has surged this year to peak at 12.5 per cent in June, easing slightly by September.

Lithuania’s economic growth has remained robust, at five per cent in the second quarter, but analysts predict it will slow sharply, possibly facing a hard landing as in neighbouring Latvia and Estonia.

Whoever wins the election will also have to try to allay mistrust of giant neighbour Russia – heightened by Moscow’s recent conflict with Georgia – and keep the country on track for possible adoption of the euro in 2011.

“Elections which are held to enforce what the government has decided already have been seen further East,” said columnist Bruveris, implying Lithuania’s democracy – officially in place since 1991 – may go the way of elections in Russia.

Critics of Russia have said recent elections were carefully stage-managed, with little coverage of opposition figures.

Voters in Lithuania have a choice of 16 parties. In the Oct 12 first round, they will choose from electoral lists and single-mandate constituencies. The Oct 26 run-off is for single-mandate constituencies where no one wins more than 50 per cent.

Analysts say the centre-right opposition Homeland Union, led by former Prime Minister Andrus Kubilius, is leading in opinion polls and might become the biggest party in parliament, but could have difficulty finding allies for a coalition.

This could leave the Social Democrats again in the driving seat, despite coming fourth in a recent opinion poll.

No-shows

Turnout in Lithuania’s last election fell to 46 per cent from more than 56 per cent in 2000. Some commentators have said it could be as low as 40 per cent this time.

“I have decided not to vote this time, because I am angry about this election show,” said lawyer Ina Jakubenaite, 28. “The party election programmes do not differ much. There are so many politicians who are trying to make a show.”

All three of Lithuania’s most colourful candidates enjoyed a surge in popularity when they hit the scene at the head of new parties.

Valinskas says he has earned enough from TV not to need a parliamentary salary, and people just want something new.

His party, dubbed the “party of showmen” by rivals, has a simple 10-point manifesto and he wants to slash parliamentarians’ pay and cut the number of parliament seats.

Stunt pilot Paksas is gambling on a strong electoral showing to overturn his 2004 impeachment – for granting citizenship to his financial backer, a Russian-born businessman, leaking state secrets to the same man, and abuse of office to influence a business deal.

The head of the centre-right Law and Order Party, he denied the charges and calls his impeachment “a coup”. He is nonetheless barred from holding any office that requires taking an oath, including becoming a parliamentarian.

“Everyone thought that after this coup, Paksas and his party were destroyed, but our party is in parliament, we took third place in the last municipal elections and we are going to take first place in these parliamentary elections,” he told Reuters.Despite a political advertising ban on television, his campaign has been aided by a film, “The Pilot”, a barely disguised biography of him showing the main character as a hero.

Paksas, who once flew under the bridges on the river Neris near Vilnius, formed a new party for the 2000 elections and took more than 17 per cent of the vote, winning a presidential election in 2003. His portrait still hangs alongside those of Lithuania’s presidents outside his office.

He aims to have all the charges which led to his impeachment thrown out: “I hope to take part in the upcoming presidential elections in 2009.”

Never-ending road

“Gherkin King” Uspaskich’s Labour Party won the 2004 election, but he later fled to Russia when prosecutors began investigating party finances. Now back on the campaign trail, he likes to enliven election rallies by singing to his followers.

“Stay together and be brave, stay together and our road will never end,” he crooned at a recent campaign meeting in Vilnius with about 200 people. Then he did a light tap dance.

Opinion polls show he is unlikely to repeat his 2004 triumph, when he led the largest party in parliament, but could win fourth place.

Also on Oct 12 will be a referendum on whether to keep open the Ignalina Soviet-era nuclear power station, which Lithuania has promised to close at the end of 2009.

The referendum is consultative and aimed at giving the government ammunition in a tussle with the European Union on whether the nuclear plant can stay open longer.

Other parties with a chance to get into parliament are the Farmers Party, the New Union and the Liberal and Centre Union.—Reuters