The consumer rights watchdog penalized Lithuanian television TV3 for alcohol advertisement during the live basketball game in January. The fine amounts to 2,000 litas (580 euros). While similar cases are pending, TV3, which is broadcasting Euroleague basketball games, is considering canceling the live games, which have become a matter of dispute to the beer companies' logos on the ball players' shirts. TV3, not to mention many politicians and the public, do not consider this advertisement, but the consumer watchdog has chosen to interpret the law to the fullest extent.
A group of public figures asked the Central Electoral Committee to permit the collection of citizens' signatures in support of cancelation of the Law on Nuclear Power Plant, which legitimized the establishment of national investor company Leo LT. Fifty thousand signatures are needed to initiate parliamentary deliberations on the validity of the law. The 16-member group 's including the head of the Lithuanian branch of Transparency International, Rytis Juozapavicius, Independence Act signatory Romualdas Ozolas and member of the European Parliament Ona Jukneviciene 's has two months to collect the signatures.
Prime Minister Gediminas Kikilas signed an agreement regarding wages of schoolteachers, according to which the government is obliged to double teachers' wages by 2011. The document was signed by the head of teacher's trade union, Ruta Osipaviciute, who represents only part of the group's interests. The trade union of Lithuanian education workers, headed by Aleksas Bruzas, does not support the agreement and has threatened to go on with the planned long-term strikes from March.
MP Vladimiras Orechovas resigned from position of deputy chairman of the Civil Democracy party, following the incident in which the MP was caught drunk-driving by police. He is facing a fine up to 3,000 litas and loosing of driver's license for three years. Orechovas said he was just going to move the car to the secured parking lot and that the campaign to oust him was organized by his political enemies.
