The Freedom and Justice Party has nominated its interim chairman, Artūras Paulauskas, to run for president in the next year’s election.
This decision was taken by the party’s board on Tuesday, the news agency ELTA has reported.
Paulauskas served as the Seimas speaker from 2000 to 2006 and as interim president of Lithuania from April to July 2004 after the impeachment of Rolandas Paksas.
So far, five political parties have announced their candidates for next year’s presidential election. The ruling conservative Homeland Union has nominated Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, former Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga has been named the candidate of the Farmers and Greens Union, and Kazlų Rūda Mayor Mantas Varškas has been nominated by the Party of Regions.
Giedrimas Jeglinskas, former NATO assistant secretary general for executive management, has become the candidate of the Democratic Union “For Lithuania”, and Dainius Žalimas, former president of the Constitutional Court, has been nominated by the Freedom Party.
There are also three independent candidates, including doctor Eduardas Vaitkus, former Chief of Defence Valdas Tutkus, and fringe activist Antanas Kandrotas.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Movement of the ruling bloc announced on Tuesday that it will not nominate a candidate for next year’s presidential election, instead focusing on the Seimas and European Parliament elections.
The first round of Lithuania’s presidential election will take place on May 12, 2024.
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