Lithuanian Parliament chair resigns

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

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

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

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

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

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

Shortly thereafter, a portion of Labor Party members left their parliamentary group and established the Civil Democracy Party, with Muntianas as chairman.

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