Lithuanian Parliament chair resigns

VILNIUS - LithuanianParliamentary Speaker Viktoras Muntianas turned in his resignation to theSeimas secretariat on Monday, to be approved by the parliament on Tuesday.

"Considering the circumstances, I am resigning from the post of theParliamentary Speaker of the Republic of Lithuania.I am calling upon the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuaniato accept my resignation," he stated in his resignation.

Ceslovas Jursenas of the Social Democrats, currently the first parliamentaryvice-chairman, is the most likely candidate to replace Muntianas in theposition.

Muntianas is resigning from his post after suspicions were brought againsthim last week over alleged bribery of a high ranking official in KaunasCounty, and one who is suspected ofcorruption.

Muntianas denies his guilt, explaining that he was paying for legal servicesin a land deal. However, he admits having "made a mistake" and sayshe would not do a similar action again.

He won his parliamentary mandate through the list of the Labor Party, afterthe parliament removed Leader of the New Union Arturas Paulauskas from the postin question in April of 2006.

Shortly thereafter, a portion of Labor Party members left theirparliamentary group and established the Civil Democracy Party, with Muntianasas chairman.

The Civil Democracy Party is in the ruling coalition together with theSocial Democrats, the Social Liberals, the Liberal Centrists and the FarmersNational Union.