Lietuva in brief - 2010-07-22

President Dalia Grybauskaite has returned amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code to the Seimas for reconsideration as the amendments allowed gaps which would create favorable conditions for the abuse of office of pre-trial investigation officers, an increase in corruption and opportunities for preventing pre-trial investigation control, reports ELTA. The head of state approves the provisions which aim at strengthening the control of pre-trial investigation and introduce specific deadlines for pre-trial investigation. Grybauskaite opposes the proposed procedure according to which the term for a pre-trial investigation would start only with the moment of making allegations. The president proposes to start counting the pre-trial period from the first day of the investigation.

Most Lithuanians were not indifferent to the decision not to allow the coffin of Algirdas Brazauskas, the first president of Lithuania since its restored independence, to be taken to Vilnius Cathedral, a survey shows, reports ELTA. In early June, confidence in the Church was expressed by 61.3 percent of the respondents, while only 12.7 percent of the residents voiced their no-confidence in it. The poll conducted by the public opinion and market research center Vilmorus on July 2-11, showed quite different results. The results show that the Church enjoyed the confidence of 47 percent of the respondents. A no-confidence vote was registered by 25.8 percent.