Long-standing LVŽS leader Ramūnas Karbauskis told ELTA that the date was set by the LVŽS council in December.
"On 1 March, a convention will take place and there will be the chairperson’s election. It is held prior to early elections of municipal mayors, so we would once again rally the people, would help our people," Karbauskis told ELTA.
According to him, LVŽS representatives will have to decide before spring if they are going to stand as candidates in the leadership election. Karbauskis claims that he has not yet adopted a decision whether to participate in the race, whereas discussions among members of the party are not yet taking place on the matter.
Karbauskis announced in November 2024 that the LVŽS would hold early election of the new chairperson despite his term of office expiring in December 2025.
Karbauskis was previously re-elected as LVŽS leader in 2021, while the other candidate was MP Giedrius Surplys. Based on the LVŽS statute, the party’s leader is elected for a term of four years.
The LVŽS currently has 8 seats in parliament, down from 32 in the 2020-2024 term of office. It has formed the 11 strong political group together with 3 representatives of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania-Christian Families Alliance (LLRA-KŠS).
In 1997-2001, Karbauskis was the leader of the Lithuanian Peasants’ Party. In 2001-2009, he was the first deputy chairman of the Union of the Peasants’ and the New Democracy Parties. In 2009-2012, he was the chairman of the Lithuanian Popular Peasants’ Union before it changed its name to the Farmers in Greens Union (LVŽS) in 2012 with Karbauskis continuing to lead it.