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Don’t see the risks
Lukas Kornelijus Vaičiakas, Head of the Lithuanian Council of Youth Organizations (LiJOT), spoke on the Lietuvos Rytas TV program “Nauja diena” that this initiative has the full support of youth organizations. According to him, this would allow all age groups to be better represented in the Seimas.
“At present, under the Framework Law on Youth Policies, a young person is considered to be under 29 years old. It means that there is currently only one young person in the Seimas.
In order for all age groups to be adequately represented, we must give young people the opportunity to apply for the Seimas. And then the voters will decide whether to support that candidate or not, “said L. Vačiakas.
Realizing that the age of the cartel of candidates in different elections is different: from 18 to 25 years, L. Vačiakas stated that the researchers have not indicated the most suitable age.
“Given that you can run for municipal councils from the age of 18 and for the European Parliament from the age of 21, since in other countries the age ranges between 18 and 21 and to obtain adequate political support in the Seimas, also bear the age threshold, ”he said.
Furthermore, according to L. Vaičkas, Danish academics have found that reducing the cartel to run for the national parliament has increased political literacy and political activity among young people. At that time, the political activity of young people in Lithuania is dangerously low, not even reaching the average of the European Union.
“We are talking about political activity in general, of participating in elections exercising both passive and active suffrage, as well as participating in the activities of political parties or actively expressing their opinions in public,” he assessed.
According to L.Vaičiakas, the Lithuanian Council of Youth Organizations also supports the idea of giving people over 16 years of age the opportunity to vote in municipal elections. In addition, allow online voting in all elections, taking into account the mobility of young people.
L.Vaičiakas stated that he did not see any risk that could create the opportunity to apply from the age of 21.
“Young people would be chosen, not just appointed to the Seimas. Many fear that a 21-year-old has no education. However, it is very important to note that an educational poster is not imposed on a member of the Seimas. Others demand experience of life, but I don’t know how to easily measure it either, “he said.
“I have no idea how to support this problem. Because if opportunities are not created to allow the candidate to run for the Seimas for 21 years, it means that the Seimas members do not trust the voters and fear that they will elect” not those. “added L. Vačiakas.
V.Čmilytė-Nielsen: the project should return to the Seimas at the end of the spring session
Seimas President Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen said Thursday that the 21-year census to run for the Seimas instead of the current 25 years would be logical, thus equalizing the requirements for elections to the Seimas and the European Parliament.
According to the current head of parliament, who initiated such an amendment to the Constitution during the last term, the bill should return to the Seimas for consideration at the end of the spring session. It was approved for another term after the presentation, as well as a positive conclusion from the previous government.
“The age limit for the European Parliament is 21 years, and it is also logical to equal the age of candidacy, because now candidates who have already stood in the European elections have to sit on a free bench and wait a few years to be in the national parliament, “said V. Čmilytė-Nielsen during a press conference at the Seimas.
“Having obtained (political support), we will bring this bill to the Seimas session hall before the end of the session,” said the head of parliament.
He noted that governing votes alone would not be enough, as the amendment to the Constitution required 94 votes.
According to V.Čmilytė-Nielsen, although there were discussions to further reduce the age of the candidacy, at the age of 18, 21 years was chosen as a compromise.
“This is a compromise proposal, it was obvious that setting a goal of 18 years would make it more difficult to find support for such a solution. We have to look at the real situation to reach such a decision in Seimas, we need to change the Constitution, we need 94 votes” said the president of Seimas.
He said that reducing the age of the candidacy was “the simplest and simplest way to show young people that we trust them.”
“I am well aware of the opinion of critics of this idea that these young people are not yet ready to make important decisions, but in this case we are talking about elections, not appointments to the Seimas. After changing the age of the candidacy, the younger candidates will still have to gain the trust of the voters to prove that they are worthy, ”said V. Čmilytė-Nielsen.
According to the laws in force in Lithuania, a 21-year-old can already be elected to the European Parliament, and the 25-year threshold for electing a person to national parliaments is the highest in the entire European Union, with only three countries. . applying the census: Italy, Greece and Cyprus.
For amendments to the Constitution to be adopted, they must be voted twice in the Seimas. The amendments will be considered approved if at least two thirds of the parliamentarians (94 members of the Seimas) approve them in each vote.
