Lithuanian parliament speaker, president to discuss environmin situation

VILNIUS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktoras Pranckietis is meeting with President Dalia Grybauskaite to discuss the existing situation after the head of state refused to appoint the prime minister's nominated candidate for environment minister.

Daiva Ulbinaite, spokeswoman for the president, has confirmed that the meeting will take place at the Seimas speaker's initiative.

Last week, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite refused to appoint Irma Gudziunaite, a justice vice minister and member of the Social Democratic Labor Party of Lithuania, citing her lack of experience and failure to demonstrate during their meeting of necessary knowledge and competence to manage the environment sector.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said later he had no hope of reaching agreement with the president and decided not to nominate another candidate until the upcoming presidential election.

The position of environment minister has been vacant since early December when Skvernelis sacked Kestutis Navickas, with Energy Ministry Zygimantas Vaiciunas now acting as environment minister.