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Lithuania: Centre-right ahead vote overshadowed by pandemic

(ANSA-AFP) - VILNIUS, 26 OTT - Lithuania's centre-right opposition came first in parliamentary elections on Sunday after a campaign overshadowed by the pandemic, opening the way for an all-female coalition at the head of the Baltic state. The conservative Homeland Union won 49 seats in the 141-member parliament, while the ruling Lithuanian Peasants and Green Union party took 32 seats, with most votes counted from the second round run-off vote. Ex-finance minister Ingrida Simonyte, who is the conservatives' candidate for prime minister, is now expected to build a majority coalition with two liberal parties, which won 12 and 11 seats respectively. Both of the liberal parties are led by women. As well as mandatory masks and social distancing in polling stations, the election featured drive-in voting as part of safety measures amid record spikes in the number of infections in the EU and NATO member state. (ANSA-AFP).