Saulius Skvernelis, the leader of the Democrats “For Lithuania” party, is stepping down as speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, amid the reshuffle of the ruling coalition.
On Monday, he registered his resignation letter with the Office of the Seimas.
“I am asking the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania to grant my request and dismiss me from the position of speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania,” the letter reads.
According to the registered resolution of the Seimas, Social Democrat Juozas Olekas, the first deputy speaker, should temporarily lead the parliament “until a new speaker of the Seimas is elected”.
The resolution on Skvernelis’ dismissal is expected to be adopted by the parliament on September 10, at the start of its autumn session.
A new ruling majority was formed in Lithuania in August following the resignation of Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.
The ruling bloc includes the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Nemunas Dawn party and the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union and the Christian Families Alliance group in the Seimas.
The latter replaced the Democrats after they said they could no longer work with the Nemunas Dawn party.
Skvernelis became speaker of the Seimas in mid-November when the newly elected parliament began its work.
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