14 February 1993 1997-1998 → 60.03% 38.28% | 1,212,075 772,922 Start date February 14, 1993 | |
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Winner Algirdas Brazauskas | ||
Presidential elections were held in Lithuania on 14 February 1993. This was the first presidential election under the new Constitution of Lithuania of October 1992 and since the declaration of independence in March 1990. Algirdas Brazauskas, the former first secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania and the then-current leader of the Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (DLPL), won with over 60% of the vote. The runner up was Stasys Lozoraitis, an independent candidate endorsed by the Sąjūdis movement and other political parties.
Contents
Campaign and results
The Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania, under Brazauskas' leadership, won 73 out of 141 seats in the Seimas (the parliament) in the parliamentary election of October 1992. Based on the earlier success, Brazauskas, who as Speaker of the Seimas was also acting president, was considered a favorite in the presidential election. Vytautas Landsbergis, leader of the pro-independence Sąjūdis movement, withdrew his candidacy in support of Stasys Lozoraitis. Lozoraitis was a Lithuanian diplomat, who spent almost all his life in Italy and the United States representing the interwar independent Lithuania. Because of the Iron Curtain, his work was virtually unknown in Lithuania. No other candidates came forward as other parties, except for the Polish minority in Lithuania, declared their support to Lozoraitis as they became alarmed by the dominance of Brazauskas and his party.
The campaign time was set for three weeks. Lozoraitis brought grace and sophistication to the campaign, stressing his experience in complex foreign affairs. Brazauskas, operating in a familiar environment, was better prepared to address domestic affairs and promised to focus on smoother transition from planned economy to free market. During the campaign, Lozoraitis was labeled as a foreigner, who did not understand current situation in Lithuania and was largely dependent on the unpopular Sąjūdis. Valdas Adamkus, a Lithuanian American who won the presidential election in 1998, assisted Lozoraitis in his campaign.
Brazauskas gained majority of the votes everywhere, except in Kaunas, and did particularly well in areas inhabited by Russian and Polish minorities. Because he gained more than 50% of the votes in the first round, no second round was needed. The inauguration ceremony took place on February 25, 1993. In May 1993, just a few months after the election, Brazauskas recalled Lozoraitis as ambassador to the U.S. despite criticism of politicizing the issue.
Summary of results
Summary of the 14 February 1993 election