Grybauskaite to Become Lithuania’s First Female Head of State

Source: Bloomberg

May 18 (Bloomberg) -- European Budget Commissioner Dalia Grybauskaite won a landslide victory in Lithuania’s presidential elections yesterday and will become the Baltic country’s first female head of state.

Grybauskaite took 68.17 percent of the vote while her closest rival Algirdas Butkevicius, a former finance minister and head of the Social Democratic Party, got 11.7 percent, according to preliminary results on the election committee’s Web site today. With all ballots counted except those cast abroad, turnout was 51.67 percent with another 5.12 percent participating in early voting, according to the latest data, indicating the election will not require a run-off.

The new head of state will replace outgoing President Valdas Adamkus as the economy experiences the worst recession since 1993, slumping 12.6 percent in the first quarter. Grybauskaite, 53, has no associations with political parties and was favored for her experience as a former finance minister.

Outside help is “only needed when the government can’t deal with problems itself,” she said today in a press conference broadcast by alfa.lt, reiterating calls for the government to resist from applying for loans from the International Monetary Fund.

Grybauskaite is critical of the ministers of economy, finance, health, energy and social security and will decide on their future in the Cabinet after meetings with them. She sees no viable replacement for Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius, she added.



Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.0wUtiydQ.8&refer=home

I also agree with her position on the IMF. For many countries, using IMF funds actually puts them in a worse position than had they gone without.
Also knew Adamkus, who worked for the EPA over many different presidents (and parties) and managed to maintain his regional post through it all.

As smart as she is, the presidency, except for a few cases, and in weird situations, is for the most part, a figurehead position. The Prime Minister, together with their parliament, Seimas, have the vast majority of powers. Still, figureheads have an impact, as Valdas certainly did.

along comes a wonderful post where an underreported story gets a nice airing, and I (and others) get an opportunity to learn something!

How is this new President's name pronounced? I look at it and think "Grey bauxite" but I know that cannot be right!

GREE bau skay teh

I wasn't even close now, was I?