Adamkus wins Lithuania vote
VILNIUS, Lithuania (CNN) -- Former Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus, who guided the ex-Soviet, pro-West republic into the European Union and NATO, has won the Baltic nation's presidential election over Peasants' Party leader Kazimira Prunskiene.
With 98 percent of the votes counted, the 77-year-old Adamkus had 52 percent of the vote, and Prunskiene, 48 percent.
The polls closed at 1 p.m. (6 a.m. ET) Sunday at the country's 2,038 polling places.
Adamkus failed to garner the 50 percent needed for an outright win on June 13, forcing the run-off against Prunskiene, who was backed by ousted president Rolandas Paksas.
Paksas became Europe's first leader removed by impeachment in April over accusations that included links to Russian mobsters and intelligence.
The Paksas scandal embarrassed the ex-Soviet republic just before it entered NATO and the European Union, and many hoped the election would bring back stability to the young democracy.
The five-year presidency is largely ceremonial and limited to overseeing foreign policy, but the vote was seen as a key test, ahead of autumn general elections, on whether Lithuania is en route to a populist backlash after joining the Western clubs.
-- Journalist Virgis Valentinavicius contributed to this report.
