Zemaitaitis says minority government possible in Lithuania

VILNIUS - Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of Nemunas Dawn, said on Thursday that he is unsure whether his party will remain in the ruling coalition following the resignation of Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.

Zemaitaitis said this will depend on the Social Democrats' new candidate for prime minister and their willingness to continue the current government's agenda. He did not rule out a minority government.

"I believe anything is possible. I even believe we could end up with a minority government. And knowing who's behind this whole coup, I wouldn't be surprised if, in two years, we learn what this plot was really about. I wouldn't be surprised if everything is done to make sure the conservatives emerge as the winners in this situation and if there are attempts to push through a minority government," he told reporters.

The Nemunas Dawn board met on Thursday to discuss the situation but has not made any decisions yet.

"I want to see who the new prime minister will be, how much support they have from the Social Democrats and what their vision is for the country. If that vision is to let Ignitis and the rest of the bandits keep running wild in public procurement, then Nemunas Dawn will not remain in the coalition," Zemaitaitis said.

The MP added that the party would not join a coalition led by someone who plans to block audits of the public broadcaster LRT or the state-controlled energy group Ignitis Grupe, or who opposes making public the names of former secret KGB agents.

"These are key priorities for Nemunas Dawn and I'm not going to back down. (...) I spoke with all members of our political group today and asked if anyone held a different position. Everyone said the same thing: we are ready to go into opposition if necessary, if our party's program commitments are rejected or removed," he said.

Zemaitaitis added that he expects the Social Democrats to nominate someone who will continue Paluckas' work.

The MP noted that work has already begun on next year's state budget, negotiations are underway on the EU's next financial framework, and new tariffs are being introduced with the United States.

"There are a lot of challenges ahead," he said.

The Nemunas Dawn leader also reiterated his position that Paluckas should not have stepped down at this point.

"I don't think a person should make such decisions until the authorities have made their decisions or filed any formal suspicions," he said.

Zemaitaitis claimed that certain businesspeople and lawyers were behind the prime minister's downfall but did not name any of them.

"I regret that the system - lawyers and businesspeople who were kicked out of various public procurement processes, whose contracts for legal services were canceled, and who were blocked from gaining access to the energy sector - is now gaining the upper hand. We're turning into not only a police state, but also one effectively run by the criminal underworld," the MP said.

After last October's parliamentary election, the ruling coalition was formed by the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, with 52 seats in the Seimas, Nemunas Dawn with 19 and the Democrats' "For Lithuania" with 15, giving the coalition 86 seats in the 141-member parliament.

Under the Constitution, Paluckas' resignation on Thursday means the entire Cabinet must step down. The coalition agreement will also have to be amended to include the name of the new prime minister. The Democrats, meanwhile, have not ruled out demanding changes to the coalition's makeup as well.