The disgraced politician Viktor Upaskikh was elected the leader of the Lithuanian Labor Party

The Congress of the Lithuanian labor party almost unanimously elected the disgraced politician and businessman Viktor Uspekikhi on Saturday, RIA Novosti reports with reference to Lithuanian radio.

For this decision, 886 out of 900 delegates of the congress, which took place in the town of Kedainay, where the Upa family lives. The politician is under "house arrest": he is forbidden to leave the city within six months, since he is a suspect in financial violations related to the reporting of the party for 2005.

The vote took place uncontested, since the only competitor - the deputy chairman of the party Lorett Grauhinen - withdrew her candidacy.

Uspekhiki, speaking at the congress, explained to the participants why he was forced to be in Russia for almost a year and a half after his departure in personal matters. According to him, he became a "defeator" due to the fact that he was afraid of physical reprisal.

He criticized political opponents, the president of the country and human rights bodies. In his opinion, in Lithuania "there were neither right nor left, no ideas - neither from below, nor from above."

One of the largest entrepreneurs of Lithuania and the former Minister of Economy of Lithuania Upa created the labor party in 2003 and successfully led it until the fall of 2006, when he, being abroad, voluntarily relieved these powers. Under his leadership, the party in 2004 won the parliamentary elections with triumphal success, receiving the largest number of mandates. The party was the leader in the number of chosen ones in the European Parliament.

He returned to Lithuania at the end of September, after which he participated in an additional election to a vacant place in the Sejm, where in the second round he lost his main competitor with a small gap.