EU budget chief wins Lithuania presidential election

By Nerijus Adomaitis

VILNIUS (Reuters) - European Union budget commissioner Dalia Grybauskaite was elected as the first woman president of Lithuanian, the Baltic nation battling a deep recession, official results showed on Sunday.

The 53-year-old, a tough-talking former finance minister, ran as an independent candidate, enhancing her popularity in contrast to the main political parties, whose standing were hit by the economic downturn and allegations of corruption.

With 96 percent of votes counted, she secured a little over 68 percent support. Turnout was 51 percent, just above the 50 percent needed to give her an outright first round win.

The country, an EU and NATO member since 2004, experienced its worst post-Soviet rioting in January.

In Lithuania, the president is the head of state and formally appoints the prime minister and the cabinet.

While presidents have some influence over economic policies, including the right to veto budget law, their executive powers are limited to implementing foreign and defence policies together with the government.

"I congratulate the Lithuanian people for their choice," she told a cheering crowd at her election headquarters, adding: "The taste of victory is the burden of responsibility."

The EU will now have to find a new budget commissioner.