VILNIUS, Lithuania — Lithuanians were voting Sunday in the first round of a parliamentary election, with the governing Social Democrats facing challenges from conservatives and an agrarian party.

Lithuania, the biggest of the three Baltic countries, has struggled to stem emigration since regaining independence in the early 1990s and joining the European Union in 2004.

Both the Social Democrats, which have led a coalition government since 2012, and opposition parties have promised to raise living standards in the country of 2.9 million.

Many Lithuanians complain that prices have gone up since the country introduced the euro, the EU's common currency, in 2015, while salaries have not. The country was hit hard by the global economic meltdown and is just emerging from a recession.

Pre-election polls showed the Social Democrats in the lead, ahead of the agrarian Peasant and Green Party and the conservative Homeland Union-Christian Democrats in the race for parliament's 141 seats.

Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius leads the Social Democrats while the conservatives are led by Gabrielius Landsbergis, who at 34 is trying to become Europe's youngest prime minister. He is the grandson of Vytautas Landsbergis, Lithuania's first head of state after the 1991 breakup of the Soviet Union.

Lithuania remains highly suspicious of Russia and tense relations with Moscow are expected to continue regardless of the outcome of the election.

Polling stations will close at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT). A second round will be held on Oct. 23 in constituencies where no candidate wins a majority of votes.

No party is likely to get more than 20 support so coalition-building talks are sure to follow the election. </s> Some 2.5 million people have been summoned to vote at Lithuania's presidential elections on Sunday which will also include a referendum on the extension of dual nationality to some 800,000 people who left the country after 1990.

Current Lithuanian legislation only allows dual citizenship to those who left the country before 1990, which favored first and foremost the post-war refugees who fled the Soviet occupation.

The new norm would also allow dual citizenship to the Lithuanians who left the country after 1990 and would also extend to their children.

This affects, for example, those who left Lithuania between 2008 and 2009, as a result of the economic crisis, who are mostly young people of childbearing age.

A study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) concluded in 2013 that emigration remains one of Lithuania's main national problems.

The referendum includes another question about a project to reduce the number of seats in Parliament.

Lithuania has a semi-presidential system in which the president has important foreign policy powers.

All of the nine candidates are pro-European and are in favor of remaining in NATO.

Current Prime Minister, Saulius Skvernelis (center-left), former finance minister and conservative Ingrida Simonyte and independent economist Gitanas Nauseda are leading polls.

In the last published poll, carried out in April, Simonyte would have 26.2 percent votes and Nauseda 24.6 percent.

In that survey Skvernelis only reached 16.6 percent of votes but he could benefit from the fact that another candidate, Naglis Puteikis, has called his supporters to vote for the current prime minister.

Some consider this move a de facto resignation to Puteikis' candidacy even though his name will still feature on the ballots.

Other aspiring candidates include philosopher Arvydas Juazatys, European Commissioner Vytenis Andriukatis, MEP Valentinas Mazuroniz and the representative of the Christian Families Alliance Valdemar Tomasevski.

Skvernelis and his coalition government have said they would reshuffle the government if they lose the presidential election.

If elected president, Skvernelis would no longer be able to continue in his role as prime minister.

Currently, the Government is formed by the Union of Greens and Farmers and by the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania although many of the current ministers are independent, including prime minister Skvernelis.

The new president will have to replace incumbent Dalia Grybauskaite who has already fulfilled the legal maximum of two five-year terms.

Grybauskaite was the first woman to reach the presidency of Lithuania and has been nicknamed the "Iron Lady", in memory of former UK prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Grybauskaite has been a vociferous critic of former US President Barak Obama's policies on nuclear disarmament and has also lashed out against the lack of a viable plan for Brexit.

Internally she earned her label as a ruthless leader for frequently removing ministers from their positions.

If on Sunday a candidate obtains at least 50 percent of the votes, he will automatically be elected president.

If, as the polls indicate, no candidate reaches that percentage, a second round will be held on May 26 - the same day of the European elections - in which voters will have to choose between the two most popular candidates.

The issues that most concern voters are the economy and the social inequalities that persist despite the strong economic growth of recent years, according to the polls.

In any case, the president, as head of the state, only has limited legislative powers which include proposing a candidate for prime minister after parliamentary elections.

The president can also appoint and remove ministers, usually with the recommendation of the head of government. EFE-EPA </s> KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The Latest on Ukraine's presidential election (all times local):

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says his apparent poor performance in the country's presidential election is sobering.

Most exit polls show Poroshenko trailing in second place behind comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy with support of 20 percent or less. That would be enough to put him into a runoff with Zelenskiy on April 21.

Poroshenko has said at a news conference after the polls closed that "I don't feel any kind of euphoria. I critically and soberly understand the signal that society gave today to the acting authorities."

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the comedian whom exit polls show leading Ukraine's presidential election, says he has made a major step toward victory.

Exit polls indicated Zelenskiy would get about 30 percent of the vote, far short of the absolute majority needed to win the first round. Most exit polls said incumbent Petro Poroshenko received the second-biggest support, which would put him and Zelenskiy in a runoff on April 21.

Zelenskiy told journalists after the polls closed that "this is only the first step toward a great victory."

He denied that his campaign would coordinate with the forces of any of the other 37 candidates on the first-round ballot.

He said that "we are young people. We don't want to see all of the past in our future."

Ukrainian presidential candidate Yulia Tymoshenko is disputing several exit polls that showed her failing to get enough support in Sunday's election to qualify for a runoff.

Several exit polls showed comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy and incumbent Petro Poroshenko as the top two vote-getters. The polls indicated Zelenskiy would get about 30 percent of the votes, ahead of Poroshenko but far away from the 50 percent needed to win in the first round.

However, Tymoshenko's campaign staff said its own exit polling showed her handily in second place.

At a news conference after the polls closed, Tymoshenko called on her supporters to head to polling stations to ensure an honest count.

An exit poll shows comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the lead in Ukraine's presidential election but his support is well short of the majority needed to win in the first round.

The exit poll released Sunday after voting stations closed indicated that Zelenskiy received about 30.4 percent of the nationwide vote, followed by incumbent President Petro Poroshenko with 17.8 percent and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko with 14.2 percent support.

The poll conducted by the Kiev International Institute of Sociology and the Razumkov Center public opinion organization was based on nearly 18,000 responses to questioning at some 400 polling places as of 6 p.m., two hours before the polls closed. The poll claims a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

A runoff between the top two candidates in the race will take place on April 21.

Ukrainian police say they have received more than 1,600 complaints about electoral violations in the presidential election.

A statement Sunday by Ukraine's Interior Ministry on Facebook said the complaints had been received by 6 p.m., two hours before polling stations were to close.

It said the reported violations included unauthorized campaigning at polling stations, attempts to bribe voters and removal of ballots.

Opinion polls have shown Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who stars in a TV sitcom about a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral, leading a field of 39 candidates in the presidential race.

The polls also had Zelenskiy outpacing incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the other top candidates, by a broad margin

Ukrainian citizens living in Poland are lining up to vote in their country's presidential election.

It is the first Ukrainian election since the arrival in recent years of large numbers of Ukrainian workers and students seeking higher wages and better opportunities in the neighboring European Union country.

People lined up at the embassy in Warsaw and at three other consular points across Poland on Sunday and cast their ballots, choosing from a field of 39 candidates.

Igor Isajew, editor of a news portal for Ukrainians in Poland, PROstir.pl, said that many other Ukrainians in Poland remain unable to vote because they live too far from the polling stations.

While there are no opinion polls tapping into the views of Ukrainians in Poland, Isajew sees signs that a higher percentage of Ukrainians in Poland than in Ukraine favor incumbent Petro Poroshenko due to his pro-European credentials, despite corruption allegations.

Voters in Ukraine are casting ballots in a presidential election after a campaign that produced a comedian with no political experience as the front-runner and allegations of voter bribery.

Opinion polls have shown Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who stars in a TV sitcom about a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral, leading a field of 39 candidates. The polls also had Zelenskiy outpacing incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the other top candidates, by a broad margin.

Voter Tatiana Zinchenko, 30, cast her ballot for the comedian. She says "Zelenskiy has shown us on the screen what a real president should be like."

If no candidate secures an absolute majority of Sunday's vote, a runoff between the two top finishers would be held April 21.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Pro-European candidate of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) in the presidential elections of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has requested on Sunday the resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Andrei Galbur, and of the chair of the Central Electoral Committee (CEC), Alina Russu, for ‘obstructing the right to vote’.

“In London, at the Stratford polling station (no. 336), the ballots have run out, while hundreds of citizens are waiting outside to vote,” said Maia Sandu on her Facebook account.

“I request the resignation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the of the chair of the Central Electoral Committee, as the main culprits for this disaster,” the pro-European candidate added.

She also said that she will file a criminal complaint against the two dignitaries “for obstructing the right to vote of the citizens of the Republic of Moldova as guaranteed by the Constitution.”

In an earlier post on the same social media account, the pro-European candidate urged people that for every obstructed vote abroad, they “call home” and “bring two votes in the country”.

“They cannot steal as much as we can vote!”

Pro-European candidate of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) in the presidential elections of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has drawn attention on the long queues in some polling stations in the diaspora and urged people that for every obstructed vote abroad, they “call home” and “bring two votes in the country”.

“The people of the diaspora are sitting in enormous queues to vote!,” Maia Sandu posted on Facebook, attaching two pictures to the text that show queues of hundreds of people waiting to vote abroad.

“In some polling stations abroad the number of ballots is dwindling. Don’t leave. And for every vote obstructed outside the country, call home and bring two votes here, in the country!,” the pro-European candidate also wrote.

“They cannot steal as much as we can vote!,” she ended her message on Facebook.

Earlier, after expressing her right to vote around noon, Maia Sandu said she is convinced that if the elections are fair, she would become the country’s next president.

She stated that she hopes the second round of voting will not be defrauded in favor of her competitor, socialist Igor Dodon.

“I am counting on the vigilance of all those who are voting, on the vigilance of observers. If the elections are fair, then we will win,” said Maia Sandu.

The press in Chisinau talked on Sunday about the long queues at several of the polling stations opened abroad by Moldovan authorities, but also about a massive mobilization of Moldovan citizens from Transnistria that crossed the Nistru river in order to vote for their president.

Igor Dodon, the pro-Russian candidate of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) and Maia Sandu, the pro-European candidate of the Action and Solidarity Party (PAS), are facing off in the second round of the presidential election that is taking place on Sunday in the Republic of Moldova and that is considered crucial for the country’s future.

Dodon: “I believe citizens want country going in different direction” than current government

The citizens of the Republic of Moldova want the country “going in a different direction”, “better” than that followed by the current government, said, on Sunday, after exiting the polls, the pro-Russian socialist candidate in the presidential elections, Igor Dodon.

“Today is a historic day for the Republic of Moldova. Tomorrow we start a new page in modern history. I voted for the future of our country. I am firmly convinced that Moldova has a future. Moldova will be a country with integrity, an independent, sovereign country. I voted for the future of our children, of all in this country,” said the candidate of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM), who came to the polls with his wife and three boys.

“I voted against those who governed in the past seven years. I voted against oligarchs, I voted against those who want to destroy the Republic of Moldova, who want to destroy the stateness of our country,” he added, declaring his conviction that he will win “by a large margin.”

Asked about the statement of Prime Minister Pavel Filip that said he wants the future president to “move in the same direction as the Government”, Igor Dodon, who mentioned previously he is in favor of early parliamentary elections if he becomes president, said that the “citizens of the Republic of Moldova want the country going in a different direction,” one that is “better” for them.

“We saw the direction they (e.n. – the governing coalition) moved towards. I believe the citizens of the Republic of Moldova want the country going in a different direction, a direction that is better for citizens. That is why, I promise I will be a President for all citizens, regardless if they are left-leaning or right-leaning. Our purpose is to do all that is possible so that life in the Republic of Moldova gets better and it will be better,” said the socialist candidate, who mentioned previously, on several occasions, his desire for closer ties with the Russian Federation.

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Pavel Filip, has expressed on Sunday his hope that the new President of the country will collaborate with the Government to implement reforms drawn up until now.

“I hope very much that the newly elected President do without electoral rhetoric, collaborate with the Government, firstly learn for himself all the things the Government managed to do until now. In this period we have a road map drawn up, now we have an agreement with the International Monetary Fund and we are in deep negotiation with the World Bank,” said Prime Minister Pavel Filip, after casting his ballot in the second round of the presidential election of the Republic of Moldova.

“I wish very much and I hope that the new President will move in the same direction as the Government, because we have very important reforms drawn up and these reforms must be implemented, taken to completion, firstly in the interest of Moldovan citizens,” the head of the executive in Chisinau added.

The IMF has approved on Monday a program with the Republic of Moldova on a period of three years. The IMF agreement provides for access to approximately 182 million dollar.

Basescu: I voted for candidate who stated throughout campaign support for R. Moldova’s European path

Former Romanian President Traian Basescu voted on Sunday in the second round of the Republic of Moldova presidential elections, stating that he put the voting stamp on the candidate who stated constantly throughout the campaign support for the European path of the Republic of Moldova and closeness to Romania.

Basescu came to the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Bucharest together with his wife, Maria, who expressed, in her turn, her electoral option.

“I am a citizen of the Republic of Moldova. I voted for the candidate who all throughout the campaign claimed support for the European path of the Republic of Moldova and closeness to Romania. Categorically, faced with a choice between Dodon and Maia Sandu any person who wishes the well-being of the Republic of Moldova will opt for Maia Sandu. Dodon proposes the cancellation of the association agreement with the EU, which means the citizens of the Republic of Moldova will lose their right to free circulation in the EU. Dodon proposes accession to the Customs Union [e.n. – now called the Eurasian Economic Union – EAEU] which means poverty, Maia Sandu proposes the path to the EU, towards the free market of the EU,” Basescu said.

The leader of the People’s Movement Party (PMP) added that there is a “huge difference” between Maia Sandu and Igor Dodon’s propose governing solutions.

“Maia Sandu proposes a Republic of Moldova that would claim for itself European values, while Dodon proposes a road to Moscow that implies an oligarchic type of governance. I, as a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, want European values for this country,” Basescu also said.

Traian Basescu was greeted upon exiting the Embassy by several sympathizers and the executive chairmen of the PMP, Valeriu Steriu and Eugen Tomac.

Valeriu Steriu said that he came to the embassy as a “sympathizer of Maia Sandu” and as a gesture of support for “those coming to vote her”.

“There are very many students that, today, are voting here and we hope there be as many all throughout the country, there are many voting stations, and just as in the past 10 years the Diaspora tipped the flag in Romania towards those who won the elections, we hope to see Moldova too turning towards Europe with the help of the Diaspora and, especially, with those who are in Romania – very many students and very many youths who are working in Romania,” Steriu emphasized.

Tricolour flags were waved, as well as that of the European Union, and upon Basescu’s exit from the embassy there were chants of “Basarabia is Romania”.

At the request of sympathizers, Basescu showed his Moldovan passport bearing the “I voted” mark upon it. </s> Lithuanians are voting today in a close presidential runoff between two centre-right rivals.

Former Finance Minister Ingrida Simonyte from the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats came first in the first round with 31.31 percent of the vote.

Political newcomer and economist Gitanas Nauseda gathered 30.94 percent in second place.

Nauseda had been an advisor to the president of SEB bank in Lithuania. He left his job to run for office as an independent candidate. He was endorsed in the last week by the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union.

Both candidates have an economic background and say they want to unite the country.

Dalia Grybauskaite, the popular outgoing President of Lithuania who will finish her ten years in office in July, said that the pair deserve to be in this second round run-off.

Something else Simonyte and Nauseda have in common is that they have said they won't go to Moscow to meet President Vladimir Putin unless Russia withdraws from Crimea, which it annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Meanwhile, candidates from 16 political parties, coalition and public election committees have been competing for Lithuana’s 11 seats in the European Parliament.

Uppermost in voters minds has been anger over economic inequality - which is at one of the highest levels in the European Union - and corruption. </s> Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy heading for victory in first round of Ukrainian election

Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy heading for victory in first round of Ukrainian election

Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy is heading for victory in the first round of the Ukrainian election

A comedian looks set to win the first round of voting in Ukraine's presidential election.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, 41, who plays a fictional TV president, had 30.4% after votes, after nearly 70% of the country's polling stations were counted.

The current president, Petro Poroshenko, was trailing in second with just over 16% and Yulia Tymoshenko, a former prime minister, was third on 13%.

With none of the candidates likely to secure more than half of the votes, the election is likely to go to a second round on 21 April, where Ukrainians will choose between the top two candidates.

"This is only the first step toward a great victory," Mr Zelenskiy said.

Full results are expected to be announced later on Monday.

The three were among 39 candidates in a country that faces issues including widespread corruption, a faltering economy and a seemingly endless war with Russian-backed separatists in the country's east.

Ukraine is also subject to a bailout programme run by the International Monetary Fund, and investors will want to know that any new president will continue reforms required to keep this on track.

Mr Zelenskiy, 41, is new to politics but found fame on TV playing a teacher who becomes president after a video of him denouncing corruption goes viral.

During his presidential campaign, Mr Zelenskiy said he wanted to develop the economy and attract investment through "a restart of the judicial system".

He also proposed a tax amnesty and a 5% flat tax for big business which could be increased "in dialogue with them and if everyone will agree".

As he cast his own vote on Sunday, Mr Zelenskiy said: "A new life is beginning, a normal life, a life without corruption, without bribes - life in a new country, the country of our dreams."

Later, he denied he would join forces with any of the other candidates, saying: "We are young people - we don't want to see all of the past in our future."

However, the election's first round was marred by more than 1,600 complaints about unauthorised campaigning at polling stations, attempts to bribe voters and the removal of ballot papers.

Incumbent Mr Poroshenko insisted the elections were fair, adding that this was "a necessary condition for our movement forward, to Ukraine's return to the European family of nations".

Regarding the exit poll result, he said: "I critically and soberly understand the signal that society gave today to the acting authorities."

Ms Tymoshenko said the exit poll contradicted her own internal polling, which had her in second place, adding that she might contest the final result. </s> Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, supported by right-wing party Democratic Rally, and communist AKEL-backed Stavros Malas will contest the run-off of the presidential election on the island, after the first round on Sunday showed Malas performing better than expected.

 

 With 100 percent of the votes counted across the Republic of Cyprus, Anastasiades garnered 35.5 percent, Malas collected 30.24 percent, centrist DIKO president Nikolas Papadopoulos took 25.74 percent, far-right candidate Christos Christou had 5.65 percent and center-left Citizens' Alliance president Giorgos Lillikas got 2.18 percent.

 

 The second round of the election is scheduled for next Sunday, February 4.

 

 Turnout for the first round was unusually low for a presidential election, at around 72 percent, against 83 percent in the previous election five years ago. Observers said the turnout was reminiscent of a parliamentary election, not a presidential poll that traditionally has a greater participation.

 

 Opinion polls before the first round had shown that in case Anastasiades and Malas were to contest the second round, Anastasiades would win by a margin of more than 12 percentage points.

 

 On the Cyprus question both Anastasiades and Malas favor the resumption of talks with the Turkish side under the auspices of the United Nations, with an aim for a bizonal, bicommunal federation. The other three candidates were against such a solution. </s> KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The Latest on Ukraine’s presidential election (all times local): 4:35 p.m. Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have hailed Ukraine’s presidential election as competitive and free…

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — The Latest on Ukraine’s presidential election (all times local):

Election observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have hailed Ukraine’s presidential election as competitive and free overall.

The OSCE observation mission said in a statement that voters “had a broad choice” at the polls and that the candidates “could campaign freely.” The observers said they have a positive assessment of the election day and expect it to be the case at the impending runoff.

Preliminary results show comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy winning the first round with more than 30 percent of the vote while the incumbent President Petro Poroshenko trails behind. The two are expected to face off in the second round of voting on April 21.

Early results in Ukraine’s presidential election show a comedian with no political experience maintaining his strong lead against the incumbent president in the first round, setting the stage for a runoff in three weeks.

With just over half of the polling stations counted Monday, Volodomyr Zelenskiy had 30.2 percent of the vote, while incumbent President Petro Poroshenko was a distant second with about 16.6 percent. Ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko trailed behind with 13 percent. The results were in sync with a top exit poll.

The strong showing of Zelenskiy reflects the public longing for a fresh leader who has no links to the corruption-ridden Ukrainian political elite and can offer a new approach to settling the grinding conflict with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. </s> NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Latest on the presidential election in Cyprus: (all times local):

Incumbent Nicos Anastasiades has defeated challenger Stavros Malas by a significant margin in Cyprus' presidential election.

State-run broadcaster RIK said Malas telephoned Anastasiades about an hour after polls closed to concede defeat.

With nearly all votes from Sunday's runoff election counted, Anastasiades had a 12-point lead over Malas.

It's the second time in a row that Anastasiades, a conservative veteran politician, has defeated the left-leaning Malas in a head-to-head face for president..

Anastasiades' supporters in the capital, Nicosia, celebrated by honking car horns.

An exit poll predicts that Cyprus' conservative president has been re-elected to another five-year term, defeating a left-leaning independent for the second time.

The poll by state-run broadcaster RIK showed President Nicos Anastasiades receiving 54.5-59.5 percent of the vote in Sunday's election, compared with 40.5-45.5 percent for Stavros Malas.

The polling is consistent with earlier opinion polls that had Anastasiades winning. But Malas' rising momentum in recent weeks showed him closing the gap with the incumbent.

Anastasiades, who is 71, says a second term will be his last. He has appealed to voters to trust his experience to keep the economy growing while pursuing a reunification deal with the island nation's breakaway Turkish Cypriots.

The 50-year-old Malas, who's backed by the communist-rooted AKEL party says he represents change amid a tired political system that short-changes ordinary Cypriots

A key variable in the second round of Cyprus' presidential election is what voters who supported neither candidate in the first round will do.

More than one-third of the first-round votes went to candidates other than incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades or independent Stavros Malas — and nearly 28 percent of the eligible 551,000 voters didn't cast ballots.

Many of the votes two weeks ago went to center-right DIKO party leader Nicholas Papadopoulos.

Papadopoulos took a tougher stance on reunification talks with breakaway Turkish Cypriots, accusing both Anastasiades and Malas of a willingness to make too many concessions.

DIKO and smaller parties that supported Papadopoulos' candidacy decided not to endorse either runoff candidate.

A conservative veteran is taking on a left-leaning independent in Cyprus' presidential runoff amid questions whether an agreement reunifying the ethnically divided island-nation can be found anytime soon.

The choice for some 551,000 eligible voters Sunday will also depend on which candidate they feel has made the most convincing pitch to deliver more benefits from a rebounding economy.

It's the second time incumbent President Nicos Anastasiades faces off against independent Stavros Malas in a runoff.

Earlier opinion polls have shown Anastasiades handily beating Malas, but the independent's strong showing in the first round could make it a closer race.

Anastasiades says Cyprus needs more of his experienced leadership to stay the course. Malas says change is needed to raise the standard of living.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Lithuanian citizens also are heading to the polls to elect their future president in the second round of the latest presidential election.