Petroniene nominated as Lithuania's election chief

VILNIUS – Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, is nominating Lina Petroniene as chairwoman of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). 

"She is an experienced expert in the organization and conduct of elections and, in particular, in the financing of political parties and campaigns at national and international level, (as she) has been working in this field since 1996," Cmilyte-Nielsen said in a press release on Tuesday.  

Petroniene has headed the Political Parties and Campaign Finance Control Division of the Secretariat of the CEC since 2007, according to the press release. 

The election watchdog has had no permanent chairperson since the resignation of Jolanta Petkeviciene in late March amid criticism over the organization of mayoral elections in Anyksciai and Visaginas.

The CEC chairperson is nominated by the speaker of the Seimas and appointed by the full parliament.