Vilnius, July 24 (IANS): According to the Lithuanian Central Election Commission (VRK), 19 political parties will take part in the Lithuanian parliamentary elections in October this year, with 18 running as independent candidates.
The registration period for the Seimas elections ended on Monday. Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday that only registered political campaigners are eligible to run in the elections.
There are 179 candidates recommended by political parties and 18 independent candidates who are registered as independent campaigners.
Three new parties will be competing for seats in parliament for the first time: Democrats for Lithuania, Nemunas Dawn and the Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party.
The October Seimas elections will be the first since a constitutional change allowed individuals over the age of 21 to run for parliament. Previously, people had to be over 25 to run, the Baltic News Agency (BNS) reported on Tuesday.
All prospective candidates must submit their applications by Aug. 9. Independent candidates must also gather at least 1,000 signatures from voters in the districts in which they plan to run.
Lithuania will elect 141 members to the National Assembly in two rounds of voting on October 13 and 27. Seventy members will be elected through proportional representation from party lists, while the remaining 71 will be elected through single-member constituencies.
