“This is finished. Having run a third of the marathon in the opposite direction it is impossible to return to the race. Somehow like this I would describe the end of my journey in the presidential election and cooperation with the Regions Party,” Varaška wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday.
The politician stated that he had accepted endorsement of the Regions Party in September 2023 even though he was not striving for it. According to him, its leadership was aware about his presidential campaign programme and ideas, and this had to be reflected in October’s parliamentary elections, too. He accused the party of causing hurdles and intrigues, while in December the Regions Party disapproved of his election programme and he could not reach an agreement with the party since then.
The Lithuanian Regions Party was established in March 2018 amid disagreements in the Social Democratic Party (LSDP). Some Social Democrats established the new party, which before 2021 was called the Social Democratic Labour Party.
Presidential elections will take place on 12 May 2024.
