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| Lithuania votes for new president | Lithuania votes for new president |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| People in Lithuania are voting for a new president amid widespread concern about the economic downturn. | |
| The clear favourite among the seven candidates is Dalia Grybauskaite, the European Union's budget commissioner. | The clear favourite among the seven candidates is Dalia Grybauskaite, the European Union's budget commissioner. |
| She has been critical of the way the country's economy has been handled by governments in the past. | She has been critical of the way the country's economy has been handled by governments in the past. |
| She could win without needing a second round of voting, and if elected she would become Lithuania's first ever female president. | She could win without needing a second round of voting, and if elected she would become Lithuania's first ever female president. |
| Lithuania's crashing economy has dominated what little policy debate this presidential election has caused. | Lithuania's crashing economy has dominated what little policy debate this presidential election has caused. |
| After enjoying years of impressive growth since it joined the European Union in 2004, Lithuania is experiencing double digit economic contraction and rising unemployment. | After enjoying years of impressive growth since it joined the European Union in 2004, Lithuania is experiencing double digit economic contraction and rising unemployment. |
| Frustration turned into violence in January when demonstrators smashed windows in the parliament building in Vilnius. | Frustration turned into violence in January when demonstrators smashed windows in the parliament building in Vilnius. |
| Those scenes caused Ms Grybauskaite, the EU's tough-talking budget commissioner, to announce her candidacy as an independent. | Those scenes caused Ms Grybauskaite, the EU's tough-talking budget commissioner, to announce her candidacy as an independent. |
| The 53-year-old, who has a black belt in karate, is widely seen as being a level-headed caretaker. | The 53-year-old, who has a black belt in karate, is widely seen as being a level-headed caretaker. |
| Based in Brussels, she has also avoided being tainted by domestic scandals. | Based in Brussels, she has also avoided being tainted by domestic scandals. |
| That has put her way ahead of her rivals in the opinion polls - with Social Democrat Algirdas Butkevicius her nearest challenger - which suggest she could achieve an outright victory on Sunday. | That has put her way ahead of her rivals in the opinion polls - with Social Democrat Algirdas Butkevicius her nearest challenger - which suggest she could achieve an outright victory on Sunday. |
| If she fails to gain 50% of the vote, with at least 50% of the country's 2.6 million voters turning out, a run-off will be held on 7 June. | If she fails to gain 50% of the vote, with at least 50% of the country's 2.6 million voters turning out, a run-off will be held on 7 June. |