Disappointed representatives of culture: your request that Petras Gražulis not represent culture in the Seimas was not heeded

He received no response from the Seimas.

“We, the creative people of Lithuania, actors, directors, dancers, singers, musicians, painters, producers and representatives of other fields of culture, want to address the Seimas. Despite difficult circumstances, we dedicate all our efforts to promote Lithuanian culture, but we see the indifference of government people towards culture as a priority area of ​​the state. The participation of incompetent and culturally controversial people in the formation of cultural policy is extremely painful, ”says a circular report signed by Andrius Mamontovas, Oskaras Koršunovas, Dalia Ibelhauptaitė, Gintaras Varnas, Modestas Pitrėnas and many other cultural representatives.

“We unanimously oppose the inclusion of the Seimas member Petras Gražulis in the ranks of the Seimas Culture Committee of the Republic of Lithuania. Their activities, speeches, public conflicts with police officers, lack of respect for the inherent dignity and self-expression of each person, and declared values ​​not only have nothing to do with the concept of culture. On the contrary, it divides society, increases exclusion and prevents any further cultural development. In our opinion, artists, the ideas of this member of the Seimas do not correspond to our ideas and vision of culture. P. Gražulis is not eligible to be a member of the culture committee due to the competence, education, education, lack of culture and personal image that he has been creating in public space for many years.

We, the representatives of culture, are not only creators but also citizens. We elect the government responsibly, so we want to be represented in the family of the same responsible people. People in culture are strong not only in their creations, but also in unity, coming together when necessary for the common goal. The improvement and development of the cultural field is determined not only by the personal ideas of the creators, but also by environmental factors. That is, a team of decision makers at the Seimas.

The appointment of Petras Gražulis as members of the Culture Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania does not respond to the needs of the cultural community. We creative people await a response from the people who rule Lithuania. In our opinion, the Culture Commission is not the place to appoint people who have not been wanted in other commissions. On the contrary, in the Culture Commission we want the members to be moved by ideas, suggestions, good will for all members of society, competition.

We demand that Petras Gražulis not be included in the members of the Culture Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. Culture is not just about human action. Culture is an action for the benefit of all people. We hope that the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania will approve it, ”the report was sent to the Seimas a month ago.

The committee has no way to remove a member

The president of the Seimas Culture Committee, Vytautas Juozapaitis, confirmed that the letter had been received, but explained that such issues were not decided by the committee itself.

“That letter was an expression of opinion with which I have no reason to disagree. But it was not a letter from a single person, and nobody usually sends a response from 700 people,” said V. Juozapaitis.

We have held marches, but the Committee is very limited in this regard by the Constitution and Statute of the Seimas, because each member of the Seimas who is elected to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania through democratic elections acquires duties and rights that no one can mention or to restrict. Each member of the Seimas must be part of a committee, which is formed on a quota basis, according to the number of elected members of the Seimas, how they form factions, and those factions receive a certain number of seats on a certain committee. In this case, the mixed group of Seimas members, to which Petras Gražulis belongs, received a quota for a seat on the Culture Committee, unless they could change delegates, ”explained V. Juozapaitis.

“The Culture Committee itself is formed by a resolution of the Seimas, and we, being nine, including Petras Gražulis, have neither the right nor the possibility to remove it from the Committee in any way. This can only be done by removing it from the Seimas by a political trial, but the conditions for this must be special, which is not a letter written by someone, there must be a political trial for that, ”said V. Juozapaitis.

He said that the Committee had submitted a request to the Seimas Ethics and Procedures Commission on the basis of this letter, but also explained that the commission could not influence or remove any Seimas member because all Seimas members were equal and Petras Gražulis was elected from a one-member constituency.

“We, as a Committee, also address a mixed group of Seimas members, and so far we have not received any response, they have not reacted in any way,” said V. Juozapaitis.

“It is impossible to expel a member of the Seimas from a committee by force without his consent: there must be an understanding of all people, including Gražulis himself, if he cares what people think of him, he must make decisions” , said. V. Juozapaitis.

Rita Tamašiūnienė, the oldest of the mixed group of Seimas members, confirmed that she was aware of this situation, but stated that it would be possible to change a member only if he wanted to do it himself and found out who would like to exchange places with him.

“Still, a member of the Seimas must be on some committee. We nominated P. Gražulis to various committees, after long discussions, by decision of the Seimas Board – after all, the Seimas votes on the composition of our committees – the Seimas voted and P. Gražulis is on the Culture Committee. It can’t be that he is nowhere, here the Seimas decides. Each member of the Seimas chooses where they would like to work, after which each faction receives dues. Thus we are divided among the members of the Seimas, now everyone is satisfied and works in that committee, and we do not hear that the companions would like to change. Unless one member of the Seimas agrees with another that he wants to change, and then the Seimas should agree, ”explained R. Tamašiunienė.

Father Gražulis himself declined to comment.