The party stated that 95% of its members supported Mazuronis’ candidature.
He earlier told the news agency ELTA that the other potential candidate was Valentinas Bukauskas.
A sitting of the Labour Party’s council was held on Monday, 22 January, and it was decided that MEP Viktor Uspaskikh, the founder of the party, would lead it in June’s elections to the European Parliament.
Mazuronis told ELTA that the Labour Party also discussed a potential new tax on defence and decided to oppose the idea that defence would be funded by new taxes.
“The current economic context is rather complex and is only deteriorating. After all, we think that such decisions should be made by the newly elected head of state, who is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces. Now these discussions and initiatives seem to be part of the pre-election process,” he said.
Until now, a number of political parties put forward their nominees. The Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) picked Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, the Farmers and Greens party (LVŽS) – MP Aurelijus Veryga, Democrats for Lithuania – former assistant secretary general of NATO Giedrimas Jeglinskas, the Freedom Party – former president of the Constitutional Court Dainius Žalimas.
Whereas independent candidates include incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda, lawyer Ignas Vėgėlė, doctor Eduardas Vaitkus, former chief of defence Valdas Tutkus and Zenonas Andrulėnas, a candidate in 2020 parliamentary election.
