Lithuanian President Wins First Round Of Vote

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite will now likely face Zigmantas Balcytis of the center-left social democrats in a runoff to be held along with European Parliament elections on May 25.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite has won the first round of voting in the Baltic country's presidential election.

Electoral officials said Grybauskaite won about 45 percent of the vote on May 11 with nearly all the votes counted.

She will now likely face Zigmantas Balcytis of the center-left social democrats in a runoff to be held along with European Parliament elections on May 25.

Grybauskaite has been a vocal critic of Russia's actions on Ukraine, boosting her popularity in a country controlled by Moscow during the Cold War.

Grybauskaite is an economist who was educated both in the Soviet Union and the United States.

She became Lithuania's first female president when she was elected in 2009.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP