Klišonis, a representative of the Liberal Movement, received 77 votes in a secret ballot, whereas his Social Democratic opponent Algirdas Raslanas received 73 votes.
Mayor of Kazlų Rūda, Mantas Varaška, earlier sought for this position as well, but he withdrew his candidacy on Wednesday and endorsed Raslanas instead.
The LSA had been left without the permanent leader since December 2023, when the organisation’s council suspended then president Mindaugas Sinkevičius, mayor of Jonava District, amid law enforcement’s investigation into his opaque spending of expenses allowances. Klišonis was then appointed as the acting president.
The LSA deals with general problems of municipalities, represents them at state and governing bodies, as well as at international municipal and other organisations.