Parties failed political transparency test - Grybauskaite

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite in her State of the Nation Address says she has showed a personal example in fighting political corruption. However, she says that the parties took the transparency and political maturity test and failed it.

"The agreement to take serious action against corruption and fight it by personal example is now put to practice. However, the parties failed to pass the transparency test when they secured public procurement exceptions for themselves," she said Thursday at the Seimas, the presidential press service reports.

According to Grybauskaite, now that legal entities are not allowed to finance political parties, there will be more opportunities not only for political donations, but also for political ideas, competence and result-based action in the upcoming elections.

She stressed that the key anti-corruption instruments have already been developed by joint efforts. "Now they need to be put into action, with no exceptions or privileges for either the ruling parties or the opposition. No exceptions to anybody," she said.