GOVERNMENT of Lithuania

Recent Events: On April 11, 2006,This Tuesday,  the four-party ruling coalition appears to have collapsed when the Parliament, through opposition initiated no confidence vote, by 94 to 11 vote removed its chairman Arturas Paulauskas, the leader of the "New Union" party (Social Liberals), one of the coalition partners.  Immediately the "New Union" party leadership caucus decided to pull out of the coalition and to resign from all  parliamentary and government positions.

The following day Viktoras Muntianas, member of the "Work" party and one of the current vice-chairmen, was elected to the chairman's position.

So far there are no indications that these events will result in the immediate fall of the government or new election.  A revised agreement was signed by the three remaining coalition parties.

****On May 31, 2006 the government fell when the Prime Minister A. Brazauskas resigned and the Uspachikas' "Darbo" (Labor) party withdrew from the ruling coalition government. 

**** July 13, 2006.  Social democrat  Gediminas Kirkilas managed to form and obtain parliament's approval of a government from center-right parliamentary block of social democrat, peasant, liberal centrist and "citizen/civil democracy" (recent breakaway group from Work Party led by current chairman of the Parliament  V. Muntanas) parties. 

Updated: 12/28/04

Lithuania is a constitutional democracy.  The current constitution was approved by more than three-quarters of citizens eligible to vote in 1991 and went into effect in 1992.  Constitution vests the powers of government to the popularly elected President, unicameral Parliament (Seimas), the government headed by Prime Minister, and an appointed Judiciary.  Because of the substantial powers granted to the President, Lithuanian governmental structure has to be considered as being a modified parliamentary type.

PRESIDENT

The President is elected for five years, by majority of votes cast.  If no candidate receives majority, a run-off by the two top vote getters is conducted.

Constitutional powers/functions of the President are:

• Define, conduct and implement foreign policy

• Sign and submit to Seimas for ratification international treaties

• Appoints diplomatic representatives nominated by the Government

• With Seimas approval appoints or dismisses Prime Minister

• Approve and appoint Ministers selected by the Prime Minister

• Nominates Supreme Court Justices, State Controller and Chairman of the Bank of Lithuania

• Appoints or dismisses Chief of Armed Forces and Chief of the Security Forces

• Is Commander-in-chief of Armed Forces and Chairman of State Defense Council

• Signs or vetoes laws passed by Seimas

• Grants amnesties

• Calls early election in Seimas – Government situations

The current President is Mr. Valdas Adamkus.  He was elected in June 2004 to a full 5-year term. Mr. Adamkus is an American expatriate from the Chicago area.  He has served in the Reagan administration as the Regional Administrator of the Environment protection Agency for the Midwest Region.

V. Adamkus served as Lithuania's President from 1998 to 2003, but had been defeated in the bid for second term by  R. Paksas in the run-off election held in January of 2003.

On April 6, 2004, President Paksas, after a 5-month long impeachment process, was removed from office by a vote of the Parliament.  He was found guilty on three counts for his actions which seriously violated country's constitution and his oath of office.    A. Paulauskas served as the interim President.

See Politics and News pages for more details about the 2003 and2004 elections and candidates.

SEIMAS (PARLIAMENT)

            Unicameral Parliament, called Seimas, is composed of 141 members elected by popular vote.  71 members are elected by direct majority in single-member districts and 70 by a separate ballot nation-wide vote for the slate of candidates submitted by the parties or coalition of parties participating in the elections.  Parties receiving 5% or more of the popular vote and coalitions receiving 7% or more are awarded seats based on the respective number of votes received.

Constitutional powers/functions of the Seimas are:

• Consider and enact amendments to the Constitution

• Enact laws

• Appoint or dismiss Ministers and other Heads of Government Department and Agencies

• Approve or reject Presidential nominees for Prime Minister and other offices

• Government oversight. May express no-confidence in Prime Minister or other individual Ministers

• Approve or reject government program submitted by the Prime Minister

• Approve a state budget and oversee its implementation

• Ratify international treaties

• Define and regulate local government structure

• Grant amnesty

• May declare a state of emergency, impose direct administration or martial law, general conscription, and call for use of armed forces

• Announce presidential election

Chairman of Seimas, elected by its members, presides over the work of the Seimas.  Seimas organization is established at its first session upon election.  The current Seimas is organized into fifteen (15) standing Committees and fifteen (15) commissions.   The term of  present Seimas runs out in 2008.

Who’s  who in current Seimas:

Updated: 12/01/06

 Seimas establishes commissions to examine special problems or to form temporary panels to investigate specific dilemmas and  to formulate action for Seimas's consideration.  If the term of the commission has not initially been specified, it is terminated by Seimas upon determination that the its tasks have been completed.

The following commissions have been established by current Seimas:

• Commission on ethics and procedures

• Anticorruption Commission

• Ignalina Atomic Power Plant  Problems Commission

• Commission on youth and sports

• Maritime and Fishery affairs Commission

• Drug Addiction Prevention Commission

• Constitutional Commission

• NATO Affairs Commission

• Commission on rights and issues of the participants in resistance against the occupation and those who suffered loss during the occupation

• Commission on petitions

• Commission for Parliamentary Scrutiny of Intelligence Operations

• Regional Development Commission

• Commission on family and children issues

• Commission on trade and employment

• Seimas and American Lithuanian Community Commission

THE GOVERNMENT

The Government, as the executive branch of  State Government is referred to, is made up of the Prime Minister and 13 Ministers.   Governments policies are implemented by issuance of directives passed by majority vote of all Ministers.

The current government is a four party coalition government, formed by the Prime Minister A Brazauskas and approved by  the Lithuania's President V. Adamkus in December 2004.  The coalition parties are: Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Social Liberals, the Work (Labor) Party and the Farmers and New Democracy Union.  It succeeded Social Democratic Party  and Social Liberal Party coalition government when said coalition suffered substantial losses in the 2004 Parliamentary elections.  Currently the government consists of 5 ministers nominated by social democrats, 5 by the new Work (Labor) Party, 2 by social liberals and 1 by the Farmers and New Democracy Union.

The government serves until any of the following events occur:

• Resignation or death of the Prime Minister

• Second rejection by Seimas of  program submitted by the Government

• Vote of no-confidence in the Government or Prime Minister

• Election of new Seimas

The Ministries and the currently serving Ministers are:

Updated: 12/01/06

JUDICIARY

Lithuanian justice system and court procedures are based on the European legal system.  There are four judicial levels:

• District Courts  (54)      ---        Investigation and adjudication of civil, criminal and administrative cases

• County Courts (5)---    Investigation and adjudication of civil and criminal cases and hear appeals on District court decisions

• Court of Appeals (1)    ---        Hears cases under its jurisdiction and acts on appeals on County court decisions

• Supreme Court (1)       ---        Highest appellate court.  The only Court that can hear cases already adjudicated and  when judgments have been already rendered and are being enforced      

In Lithuania constitutional questions are resolved by a separate judiciary panel called the Constitutional Court.  Resolution of administrative law issues and disputes in the area of public administration are under the jurisdiction of Administrative Courts.

The State is represented by Prosecutors, who bring and prosecute cases.  They have broad investigative and prosecutorial powers.  They are members of the State Prosecutor’s office, an independent government agency.