Russian tycoon's party neck-and-neck with rightists in Lithuania

0 Comments | AFP, October, 2004

VILNIUS (AFP) — The upstart party of a Russian-born tycoon and right-wing opposition parties were neck-and-neck in Lithuania's parliamentary elections, near complete results showed, with the ruling leftist coalition trailing a distant third.

The results so far left a question mark over the future government in this small Baltic state, which joined the European Union and NATO earlier this year.

Millionaire Viktor Uspaskich's Labour Party had 40 seats in the 141-member parliament, the Seimas, with the right-wing Conservative Party and Liberal Center Union just behind with 39 seats, election officials said.

The governing left-wing Social Democrat and Social Liberal coalition scored third with 29 seats. Two other minor parties and independants had another 27...