VILNIUS, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania holds its parliamentary elections on Sunday with active voting and hopes of the leading parties to receive more than one fourth of the seats in the parliament.
By the Sunday's early afternoon, 21.56 percent of the country's 2.5 million eligible voters have cast their votes to elect the Seimas, the country's parliament. Including the early voting held earlier this week, the total activity amounts to 28.24 percent.
"Despite the rain, the elections have been active," Zenonas Vaigauskas, head of the country's Central electoral commission, told media.
HIGH HOPES
The leaders of the country's ruling and opposition parties expect to win more than one fourth of seats in the country's 141 seat parliament.
The country's prime minister and leader of the ruling social democratic party Algirdas Butkevicius expects his party to get 35-40 seats. The head of the cabinet told journalists he is ready to form the government if he receives support.
"No, I don't feel tired," Butkevicius said after casting his vote on Sunday morning.
When asked about his resignation in case the party loses the elections, Butkevicius said he will announce the decision after the second round held after two weeks.
Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the parliament's main opposition party, said he expects the conservatives to win 40-45 seats at the parliament.
"Expectations are good. We feel people's trust and need for changes," Landsbergis told local media.
The outcome of the elections is seen as unpredictable by political analysts with the last polls showing that the social democrats would receive 15.6 percent of votes. The Peasant and Greens Union which has seen a sharp increase in popularity this year, would receive support from 14 percent of voters, shows the survey by Spinter tyrimai. The Homeland union-Lithuanian Christian democrats stand third in the pools with 13.7 percent of votes.
The social democrats have lost part of their popularity with corruption scandals that have struck the government in recent months.
Loreta Grauziniene, speaker of the Seimas and member of the ruling coalition's Labor party, sees the main battle happening between the social democrats and the conservatives.
"One of these parties will form the coalition, and other parties will try to include their programs' points into the program of the coalition government," ELTA news agency reported quoting Grauziniene.
Grauziniene's party is to receive support from 5.2 percent of voters, shows the latest poll by Spinter tyrimai.
PROMOTING CHANGES
Lithuania's former president Valdas Adamkus said he has chosen candidates who could return the trust in Seimas.
"The new Seimas should adopt the legislation which would facilitate Lithuania's economic development and the welfare of Lithuanian people as well," Adamkus told journalists after casting his vote.
The former president noted that the current coalition has disappointed him. Adamkus' tone was alike with that of the incumbent president.
The country's President Dalia Grybauskaite used an opportunity to vote in the early voting earlier this week. She then revealed voting for changes.
"For change which would lead to the stable growth of welfare," said Grybauskaite.
The incumbent and the former leaders of the country urged people to participate actively in the elections.
