Lithuanians to vote over weekend on joining EU

LITHUANIA: Lithuanians vote at the weekend on whether to join the EU with nine other states next year

LITHUANIA: Lithuanians vote at the weekend on whether to join the EU with nine other states next year. A low turnout, however, might still scupper the referendum despite huge support for EU membership.

The two-day referendum in the Baltic state will be the fourth such poll after Malta, Slovenia and Hungary all voted Yes this year.

Turnout must be above 50 per cent for the vote to be valid, and a succession of EU politicians have visited Lithuania to drum up support for a Yes.

Turnout predictions have crept up from 55 per cent in March to 58 per cent last month.

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"A No vote would be a great loss for Lithuania, but I can't imagine that happening as I think Lithuanians are at least starting to understand what the EU is all about," the Prime Minister, Mr Algirdas Brazauskas, said as he voted by post earlier in the week. "I think turnout will be well above 50 per cent."

Latest polls show that more than two-thirds of Lithuanians support accession to the EU, with only about 13 per cent opposed and the rest undecided. - (Reuters)