Conservative Valdas Benkunskas Elected Mayor Of Vilnius

There has been a sensation in the election of the mayor of Vilnius district.

Robert Dukhnevich, 32, nominated by the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, was sensationally elected mayor of the Vilnius district. He received 50.2% of the votes, reports lrt.lt.

Conservative Valdas Benkunskas has been elected mayor of Vilnius.

His rival Artūras Zuokas, a candidate of the Freedom and Justice party, conceded defeat in the second round.

According to the Main Electoral Commission, Benkunskas won 52.73% of the votes, while the former mayor of the capital, Zuokas, won 47.27%.

Benkunskas, who arrived at headquarters on Sunday evening, said he would strive to make Vilnius an exceptional city in Europe.

"We will make sure that in the next four years Vilnius becomes unique not only in the Lithuanian context but also in Europe," Benkunskas told reporters at headquarters on Sunday evening.

Zuokas has conceded defeat in the election. The politician had already been mayor of Vilnius. He ran the capital in 2000-2007 and 2011-2015.

In the municipal elections, which ended on Sunday, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (SDPL) won the most mayoral posts, various political committees came second, the Liberal Movement came third, while the Fatherland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats showed half worse results.