W. Tomaszewski: Historic success of AWPL!

Waldemar Tomaszewski, a leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, is pleased that his party crossed the 5% election threshold in last Sunday elections. According to the preliminary results, the party received 5,9% of all votes and closes the list of parties that entered the Parliament. 

About 1.00 am, when the data from district election commissions started to flow rapidly, the results of AWPL increased. If the preliminary data turns out to be true, AWPL will cross the election threshold and introduce candidates form the national list to Lithuanian Parliament for the first time in history. Waldemar Tomaszewski expects about 6% of all votes. It means that 5 members of AWPL will enter Lithuanian Parliament. It is possible that a few members of AWPL will receive their seats in single- member constituencies. One of the candidates, Leonard Talmont, won the elections in the first ballot and is one of few (probably of three in whole Lithuania) members who gained such big support form the voters.

Wiktor Uspaskich’s Labour Party, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania and “Order and Justice”(a party of the dismissed president, Rolandas Paksas) will probably form a coalition in the future Lithuanian Parliament. Because of the significant fragmentation of the political stage, AWPL might draw attention of the future coalition members.

It was the first time that the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania presented itself as a nationwide party with its own economic programme and proposals for solving current national problems – unemployment, emigration, lack of perspectives. According to Tomaszewski, such a nationwide programme is a good method to create a positive image of the party among Lithuanian people and solve significant economic and social problems.

The situation of national minorities in Lithuania is a relevant issue for some AWPL’s supporters. Is there any chance that these problems will be solved?

Source: http://www.wilnoteka.lt/pl/artykul/w-tomaszewski-awpl-odnioslo-historyczny-sukces  

Tłumaczenie Karolina Rolka w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Karolina Rolka the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.