Lithuania election: PM Saulius Skvernelis to quit after poor result Published duration 13 May 2019

image copyright Getty Images image caption Mr Skvernelis, seen here with his partner and children, said he would resign his post on 12 July

Lithuanian PM Saulius Skvernelis says he will step down after failing to qualify for the second round in the country's presidential election.

Mr Skvernelis, who was one of the expected frontrunners in the vote, said he planned to resign as PM in July.

Partial results suggest that prominent economist Gitanas Nauseda topped the first round, followed by former Finance Minister Ingrida Simonyte.

The pair will face each other in a run-off at the end of the month.

The winner will succeed the popular President Dalia Grybauskaite after her second and final five-year term.

Ms Grybauskaite has been a strong critic of President Vladimir Putin of Russia, which borders Lithuania, and has focused on tackling corruption in her country.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Mr Skvernelis admitted defeat but said he had "really believed" he would get through to the next stage.

"The failure to get into the second round is an assessment of me as a politician," he said.

The run-off is due to take place on 26 May.

Related Topics Lithuania