Opposition lawmakers in Lithuania’s parliament are considering initiating a vote of no confidence in Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas during the upcoming spring session.
“We are seriously considering it for a whole range of reasons, not only because of Julius Sabatauskas’ unconstitutional nomination, but also because of attempts to politicise other independent institutions,” Laurynas Kasčiūnas, leader of the opposition conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, told BNS on Tuesday.
Last year, Julius Sabatauskas, a Social Democratic MP, was nominated by Olekas and appointed by a parliamentary vote as a Constitutional Court judge, but will not take up the position because the same court ruled he did not meet the requirements for the nomination.
In December, Olekas, a member of the ruling Social Democratic Party, nominated fellow party member Nerija Stasiulienė for the post of Seimas ombudsperson. Lawmakers later rejected her candidacy in a secret ballot.
Kasčiūnas said the speaker also bears responsibility for efforts to amend the law governing public broadcaster LRT in a way that would make it easier to dismiss its director general. He criticised Olekas for not allowing the opposition to seek an expert assessment of the bill or to hold public consultations.
“There are many reasons, and this is the basis, but the final decision will be made in February,” Kasčiūnas said. “In any case, we will see how the situation develops at the beginning of the session.”
Under the Seimas statute, a motion to dismiss a parliamentary official must be submitted in writing by at least one-fifth of lawmakers – 29 of the 141 members of parliament.
The official is dismissed if more than half of all lawmakers vote in favour in a secret ballot.
The Seimas’ spring session is scheduled to begin on March 10.
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