LITHUANIA: Lithuania's vote to find a new president will go to a second round after the former leader of the Baltic nation, Mr Valdas Adamkus, failed to win an overall majority in yesterday's election.
Exit polls showed that he would face a run-off with either Mr Petras Austrevicius, the man who led negotiations for Lithuania's accession to the European Union in May, or Ms Kazimira Prunskiene, who was the country's first prime minister after it won independence from the ailing Soviet Union in 1991.
Mr Adamkus gained about 28 per cent of the vote, which was run alongside Lithuania's first elections for the European Parliament.
Mr Austrevicius and Ms Prunskiene took around 20 per cent of ballots, setting the stage for a second round on June 27th.
The election was called after the former president, Mr Rolandas Paksas, was impeached in April, after being accused of having links with the Russian mafia and allowing his office to be infiltrated by Moscow's intelligence services.
The former stunt pilot surprisingly beat Mr Adamkus (77) in a 2003 election, and claimed to have been ousted by a conspiratorial political elite determined to do down a man who enjoyed great popularity with the poor and in the provinces.
He was barred from running again for office, leaving Mr Adamkus as clear favourite.
He returned to Lithuania in 1997, some 53 years after fleeing the country for the United States as Soviet troops poured in.
"I believe this is very important for the entire our country because we are opening a new page in our history, in our country's life," Mr Adamkus said after casting his vote. Overall turnout was estimated at about 40 per cent.
Ms Prunskiene won the backing of Mr Paksas - and the votes of many of his supporters - after promising to restore his right to run again for office should she become president.