The LSMS faction has decided to take an unprecedented step due to the changes to the Statute presented by the ruler.

“Our group met this morning and decided not to participate in the political farce that the rulers are creating. Instead of organizing their work smoothly, they are creating an unprecedented situation: the largest opposition faction has been eliminated from the Seimas leadership during the first two sessions, showing that there will be no democracy and no respect for Lithuanian parliamentary traditions in this Seimas. Not exactly that, the ruling campaign of revenge against the opposition continues. Yesterday at Seimas he already registered at Seimas
amendments to the statute, which deprive the opposition of the position of chairman of the Audit Committee of the opposition Seimas. The rulers are creating the legal conditions to appoint those who are in a minority that has not declared itself in opposition. In this way, another tradition of parliamentary democracy is destroyed.

According to him, the faction has finally lost confidence in the Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilyte-Nielsen and the rulers.

The group statement reads:

“Considering the fact that the ruling majority ignores the traditions of independent Lithuanian parliamentarism, which became the basic norm for the formation of the Seimas leadership, democratic discussions, equality of opinion, respect and political culture in the twelve mandates, and pointed out that the rulers systematically violate the Lithuanian peasants and the Union of the Greens, as the largest opposition faction, which is why the LVŽS faction is not represented at the level of the Seimas leadership, and recognizing that from this way the rulers limit our rights to information about the direction of the Seimas and prevent full participation in the Seimas; that the rulers of the thirteenth Seimas have created a threat to democracy, we announce that we are resigning any leadership position in the committees, commissions and other structural subdivisions of the Seimas. At the same time, we would like to inform you that the members of the The LVŽS faction are withdrawing from the Elders ‘Conference activities and that the LVŽS faction of their other representatives will not be delegated to the Elders’ Conference. We will adhere to such provisions until all currently violated opposition rights have been restored. “

Caused a storm of emotions

As already announced, emotions have been flowing in the Seimas since morning.

At a meeting of the Conference of Elders held in the Seimas on Thursday morning, the LVŽ leader stated that the peasants saw no point in working to get out of the Conference of Elders, stating that the opposition was left without the opportunity to Express your opinion.

“You probably remember perfectly the events of the last two days, when LVŽS was left without representation in the direction of Seimas. We now see the next stage, the so-called bullying, when it proposes to take a decision to offer the Joint Group the presidency of the Committee of Audit. (…) That desire to leave the opposition without any opportunity to express their opinion, we do not see the sense of working in the assembly of elders. In the group, we will talk about other measures to defend democracy in the Seimas. Thank you ” said LVŽS leader R. Karbauskis and left the room where the elders’ meeting was held.

According to the Statute of Seimas, the position of head of the Audit Committee is appointed by a representative of the opposition. Delfi recalls that in the Seimas sessions held on Friday and Tuesday, the largest opposition peasant group was surprised by the fact that it was left without its representative in the leadership of Seimas.

The candidacy of Aušrinė Norkienė proposed by LVŽS was not approved, and the other candidate proposed by them – Jonas Jarutis was no longer proposed because one was busy.

The team of deputies of the president of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen will be made up of three conservatives: Jurgis Razma, Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė and Paulius Saudargas, a representative of the Vytautas Mitalas Freedom Party, and two members of the opposition: a member of the Party Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP)

Prepared amendments

The amendment to the Statute of the Seimas, which angered the leader of the LVŽS R. Karbauskis, establishes that a representative of the members of the Seimas belonging to the minority of the Seimas is elected president of the Audit Committee.

Until then, the Statute of the Seimas looked like this: a representative of the opposition Seimas faction or coalition of factions with more than half of the minority members of the Seimas was elected chairman or vice chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Audit Committee.

The chair of the Budget and Finance Committee has two vice-chairs. It is also proposed that a representative of the Seimas members belonging to the Seimas minority be elected chairman of the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission.

The explanatory memorandum establishes that the objective is to establish that the representatives of the members of the Seimas belonging to the minority of the Seimas are elected as Chairman of the Audit Committee and Chairman of the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission.

“The preparation of the project was facilitated by the fact that currently the Statute of the Seimas stipulates that only a representative of an opposition faction or a coalition of factions with more than half of the minority members of the Seimas is elected president or vice president, while the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission is elected in accordance with the established procedure.

It should be noted that there is a well-established tradition in Seimas labor practice that a representative of Seimas members belonging to a minority of the Seimas is elected chairman of the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission, but this tradition is not fixed in the Statute.

It is considered that, taking into account the tasks of the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission, it is appropriate to formalize this parliamentary tradition by enshrining in the Statute of the Seimas the provision that only a representative of the minority members of the Seimas is elected President of the Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission. In the case of the Audit Committee, although it is also possible to elect a member of the governing majority as president, the tradition (with the exception of the 2012-2016 mandate) has been that the president of the Audit Committee is usually a minority and the alternate majority. We offer to formalize it ”, explain the initiators.

The entire set of amendments is being prepared

On the fact that the program is preparing a package of various amendments to the Statute of Seimas “Delphi Seimas spokesperson Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen mentioned in the spotlight.

“One of the main objectives is to improve the legislative process. I think that the next initiatives can be presented in much more detail. But the objective that I am talking about is also enshrined in our coalition treaty: legislation must be raised to the next qualitative level. I believe that the determination of our coalition means that all members of the Seimas will also take responsibility, ”said V. Čmilytė-Nielsen.

Vytautas Landsbergis, honorary president of the Union of the Lithuanian Homeland-Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), who participated in the fair, was satisfied with these initiatives.

“I would like to start by congratulating the president. We look forward to productive parliamentary work. May parliament be not a fuss but a place of creativity, a state construction site. I was pleased to hear from the President that amendments to the Statute of the Seimas are already being prepared, without wait for a new direction of the Seimas to form, and so on. It is necessary to prepare in advance and it is good that it is being done now, “said V. Landsbergis.

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