Electoral commission receives social democrats’ nomination for Kondratovich in early parliamentary elections

The Central Electoral Commission (VRK) announced on Friday afternoon that it had received a nomination from the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) to register Vladislav Kondratovich as an independent candidate in the early parliamentary elections for the single-member Nalšia North constituency.

Earlier, the VRK also received a request from Ruslan Baranov, a current member of parliament who had previously planned to run, to withdraw his candidacy. The LSDP had initially intended to nominate Baranov for the early elections in the same constituency, a decision that faced public criticism as he had already been elected to parliament in a multi-member district.

Former presidential candidate Eduardas Vaitkus has also announced his independent candidacy in these elections.

According to the VRK, 11 political parties plan to participate in the elections, including the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance, Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, Democratic Union “For Lithuania,” “Nemuno Aušra,” and the Liberal Movement. Parties not currently represented in parliament—such as the Freedom Party, the Union of Nation and Justice (centrists, nationalists), the Centre-Right Union, and the Lithuanian Regions Party—also intend to field candidates. The Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union will also take part, with vice-chair Ligita Girskienė stating that the party will nominate Gintautas Kinduris, a former MP who ran in the 2024 parliamentary elections in this constituency.

Registration of campaign participants will continue until July 13 inclusive. The early parliamentary elections in the single-member Nalšia North constituency will take place on November 8. They were necessitated by the death of liberal MP Jevgenij Šuklin on May 28. The VRK revoked his mandate in early June. Šuklin, a well-known canoeist, was elected to the Seimas in 2024 with the Liberal Movement and was a member of its faction.

The Electoral Code stipulates that early parliamentary elections, when the mandate of a member elected in a single-member constituency is terminated, must be held no later than six months after the vacancy. Elections are not held if less than one year remains until the next regular parliamentary elections, as determined by the Constitution.

Reporting by ELTA.