Lithuanian parliament picks bomb hoaxer as speaker

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania's newly elected parliament has chosen as its new speaker a popular television talent show host once convicted of placing a prank call about a bomb in a hotel.

The speaker is first in line to lead the ex-Soviet state, which joined the European Union and NATO in 2004, if the president dies in office or is dismissed.

Lithuania's centre-right opposition beat a Social Democrat-led coalition last month in elections dominated by voters' worries about economic slowdown and double-digit inflation.

The 141-member parliament, the Seimas, elected Arunas Valinskas by a vote of 79 to 58 in a second ballot late on Monday after he failed to get a majority in the first vote.

"It was the first test for the ruling coalition, and I am happy we have passed it," Valinskas, 41, said after the vote.

Valinskas's National Resurrection Party, formed a few months before the parliamentary elections, unexpectedly won 16 seats in the October vote and joined a four party centre-left coalition.

His wife, a pop singer, was also elected to the Baltic state's parliament on the party list, which included a number of other performers.

Valinskas's ability to lead the parliament was questioned not only by opposition politicians, but also by some members of his centre-right coalition.

"Is anyone a saint here?" Valinskas asked when reminded that he was sentenced in 1999 for placing a hoax call to the police about a bomb he said had been planted in a hotel where his friends' wedding was taking place.