Opposition expresses discontent

VILNIUS - The board of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) has appealed to President Dalia Grybauskaite asking her to initiate early elections of the Seimas, reports Respublika. Leader of the Seimas opposition, Algirdas Butkevicius, does not believe that President Grybauskaite will dissolve the current Seimas, however. When asked what the LSDP board expected by asking the president to initiate early elections of the Seimas, Butkevicius said “We want the president to know our position. Currently, we do not see any actions of the president, even though all the county’s governance institutions must be responsible for the political and social situation.”

According to Butkevicius, “over this period, the government has suspended the activities of 7,000 personal businesses; this shows where we are going. Moreover, if we continue borrowing and paying such interest [rates], the state might soon become insolvent,” Butkevicius said.

Though the opposition Social Democrats want the new parliamentary elections to be held, they do not intend to express non-confidence in the government, which would allow for the holding of such elections, reports Kauno Dien. The LSDP adopted the appeal to the president by a majority, although there were skeptical opinions expressed that the head of the state had basically no constitutional powers to dissolve the parliament or initiate early elections of the Seimas.  Under the Constitution, the president may launch early elections of the Seimas upon the proposal of the government, if the Seimas has expressed no confidence in the government. Seventy-one voices in the Seimas are needed to adopt such a decision.

Butkevicius believes that the opposition might collect this number of votes; however, he says, it would be reluctant to express non-confidence. According to Butkevicius, over the next few weeks the opposition will prepare a draft resolution for the early elections of the Seimas and will try to collect the necessary signatures.