Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite casts her vote in Vilnius, Lithuania, May 21, 2019. Advance voting in the Lithuanian presidential runoff and the European Parliament election began on Monday and will run through Friday. (Xinhua/Alfredas Pliadis)
VILNIUS, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanians are "lucky" as the two candidates competing in the country's presidential runoff are "worthy of being there," outgoing President Dalia Grybauskaite said on Tuesday.
The first round of the presidential election took place on May 12 pitting economist Gitanas Nauseda against former Finance Minister Ingrida Simonyte. Since none of them secured more than 50 percent of the votes, a runoff is scheduled for May 26, coinciding with the European Parliament elections.
"People will be able to choose the candidate they like," Grybauskaite said after casting her ballot in early voting here.
According to Grybauskaite, the Lithuanian people expect stability, peace and welfare from the new leader.
"The new president will have to take over a big responsibility," she said.
Grybauskaite did not reveal which candidate she supported.
Once the new president is elected, Grybauskaite will leave office after finishing her second term. She noted that serving as a Lithuanian president has been a "huge challenge."
"I had to learn every day as the situation was always changing," Grybauskaite was quoted as saying by local media.
Ingrida Simonyte received 31.31 percent of the votes in the first round. Nauseda was second with 30.94 percent.
Advance voting in the Lithuanian presidential runoff and the European Parliament election began on Monday and will run through Friday.
