Adamkus lashes out at coalition's political council

  • 2006-01-18
  • By The Baltic Times
VILNIUS 's President Valdas Adamkus struck out at the political council of the four-party ruling coalition, claiming it was over-reaching its authority and encroaching on the competency of the government and legislature.

In a statement released Tuesday night, Adamkus suggested that the political council was acting in an awkward an uncoordinated way. "The political council has agreed to agree in future on things it has not yet agreed upon," he said.

"First of all, regardless of what [the council] may decide in the future, I find it unacceptable that [it] is trying to make decisions that lie within the competence of the government or legislative authorities," he said.

In the past the political council 's which is made up of members of the Social Democrats, the Social Liberals, the Labor Party and the Farmers' Party 's has been criticized for wavering on crucial policy. In fact, it was the council's flip-flopping on tax reform that led to the resignation of the former finance minister, Algirdas Butkevicius last year.

Adamkus, who is on holiday in Mexico, said he did not understand the council's decision on natural gas regulation, forming new ministries and "VAT discounts on frozen meat."

"I disagree that this political council should take over the powers of the government or even the legislative powers. Who will then assume responsibility for these decisions. Will it be this very political council?" Adamkus wrote.

On Monday the council, which includes Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas, Parliamentary Speaker Arturas Paulauskas, Labor Party leader Viktor Uspaskich and Agriculture Minister Kazimira Prunskiene, met for three hours and failed to reach a consensus on any issues facing it, the Baltic News Service reported.

The opposition has also criticized the council, saying it is reflective of the coalition's overall character. "Often there is much ado and few results," Homeland Union leader Andrius Kubilius told the Baltic News Service.