Vilnius, Oct 13 (IANS): The first round of Lithuania's parliamentary elections began on Sunday, with voters set to elect 141 members to the Seimas, the country's unicameral parliament, for a four-year term.

According to the Central Electoral Commission (VRK), 1,740 candidates are competing in the elections, Xinhua news agency reported.

Polling stations opened at 07:00 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will close at 20:00 p.m. (1700 GMT).

In the 141-seat Seimas, 71 members are elected through single-seat constituencies in two rounds of voting, and the remaining 70 members are chosen by proportional representation from a single nationwide multi-seat constituency.

To enter the Seimas, a party must receive at least 5 per cent of the total votes, while electoral coalitions need a minimum of 7 per cent.

In single-seat constituencies, a candidate must secure at least 20 per cent of all eligible votes to win outright. If no candidate achieves this threshold, the top two candidates will face a run-off on October 27.