"The failure to get into the runoff is the evaluation of me as a politician. I accept that evaluation as a politician and have to make that step," he told the public television LRT early Monday morning. "It might be so that the same ruling majority will form a new government and will have its own prime minister."
The prime minister says public support is necessary to carry out reforms. He plans to hand in his resignation letter in July.
Representatives of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union will make decisions after evaluating the final election results, he added.
Initial figures show economist Gitanas Nauseda, an independent presidential candidate, will face MP Ingrida Simonyte, representing the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, in the presidential runoff on May 26.