Lithuanian parlt may hold no-confidence vote in its speaker on Oct 17

  • 2019-10-10
  • BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS - Ramunas Karbauskis, the leader of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, expects the parliament to hold a no-confidence vote in its speaker, Viktoras Pranckietis, on October 17, and says he considers standing for the post. 

"Next week, on the 17th," he told reporters on Thursday when asked when a vote on Pranckietis might be held.  

When asked if he was considering running for the post of speaker, Karbauskis said, "I am", adding that it will be up to the ruling coalition to decide. 

"The coalition will decide when the time comes (...). The opposition are very keen for me to consider running; we'll speak about that," he said. "This is an issue under discussion, and I don't want to say today that this is impossible."

The opposition Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats and the Social Democratic Party (LSDP) have called on Karbauskis, who has been seeking to oust Pranckietis for several months now, to take responsibility and stand for the post.

Karbauskis initially dismissed the opposition's calls as a joke, noting that the Farmers and Greens' new coalition agreement, signed in July, calls for giving to post to the Social Democratic Labor Party (LSDLP). 

Pranckietis says he will not resign unless the parliament votes to remove him from the post.

The Farmers and Greens collected the necessary votes to initiate a no-confidence vote against the speaker several months ago, but have not yet table the motion because of the risk that they will fail to muster the minimum 71 votes needed to pass it.