Reuters - 05.11.2003

 

Lithuanians Give Huge 'Yes' to EU Entry in Poll

Sun May 11, 2003 06:57 PM ET 

By Bryan Bradley

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuanians gave a huge "Yes" to European Union entry in a weekend referendum, early results showed, with nine out of 10 voters in favor of joining the wealthy bloc next year.

The "Yes" vote completes the ex-Soviet republic's return to mainstream Europe after more than a decade of reforms and should give a boost to several other candidate countries yet to hold their ballots on EU entry.

"I am really proud of the historic step the Lithuanian people has taken," Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas said.

"Now I can say with a certain inner confidence that everything will be okay for Lithuania."

The election committee said that with more than half of the votes counted in the two-day poll, 90 percent had voted in favor, much higher than the two-thirds suggested by the latest estimate.

Analysts said the naysayers chose to stay at home and try to invalidate the vote by keeping turnout under the required 50 percent.

The small Baltic country is one of 10 mostly ex-communist states hoping to join the EU, and the fourth hopeful to vote in favor of joining the wealthy club after Malta, Slovenia and Hungary all voted "Yes" earlier this year.

President Rolandas Paksas told Reuters the day Lithuania joins the EU, due on May 1, 2004, would be celebrated in the same way the Lithuanians mark the day they gained independence from Moscow in 1991.

"I am very proud of Lithuania having passed this test of democracy," he said.

The head of the local European Commission delegation, Michael Graham, congratulated Lithuania. "It's a fantastic result," he said.

BATON PASSED ON

The pro-EU political elite led a frantic campaign urging people to vote, with politicians near panic after lackluster turnout on Saturday's first day.

Fears that apathy could kill the vote lasted well into the final day of voting, but numbers of votes cast jumped around midday and ended at around 64 percent, including postal votes.

Celebrations were already under way in the capital Vilnius, with lawmakers enjoying a champagne reception at parliament and fireworks flaming over the city.

"Tonight we're going to hit the streets partying," said student Liutauras Kazlavickas. "Earlier, we feared it could flop on low turnout, but now we're all happy and full of energy."

Many see the Lithuania poll as a critical test ahead of referendums in Slovakia next week and Poland in June, which have similar turnout requirements and struggle with voter apathy.

Lithuania's thumbs-up is also expected to give a boost to pro-EU camps in its more euro-skeptic Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia ahead of referendums in September.

"My congratulations to all citizens of Lithuania," Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller said, reflecting hopes that Poles will turn out in force in their own referendum on June 7-8.

Many East Europeans suffer from political fatigue after more than a decade of post-Soviet reforms, and the 3.5 million Lithuanians have grown tired after often painful reforms that have propelled them to the doorstep of NATO and the EU.