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Roundup: Lithuanian president says LVZS to form gov't

Xinhua, October 25, 2016 Adjust font size:

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite on Monday met the winners of the country's parliamentary elections and announced that the Peasant and Greens Union (LVZS) has to form the government.

Grybauskaite invited the leaders of the LVZS and the conservative Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD).

In a symbolic move, Grybauskaite gave a mandate to LVZS to form the government, noting that the voters' will result in fundamental changes in Lithuania's political landscape with 85 MP of LVZS and TS-LKD entering the 141-seat Seimas, Lithuanian parliament, for the first time.

"Lithuania's Peasant and Greens Union has received the most mandates of trust -- 56. And this is the largest burden of responsibility as well," Grybauskaite said in a press conference.

"Therefore, such clear winner has to form the ruling coalition," she said.

The latest data shows nine parties and one electoral coalition have entered the Seimas, together with four independent candidates. LVZS secured 54 seats in the elections, while two of the four independent candidates who have entered Seimas were with LVZS in the first round of voting, and turned into independent candidates in the second round.

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) will announce the full list of new members of parliament by Oct. 30.

Grybauskaite also noted the elections were democratic highlighting the transparency, as the number of violations has decreased, compared to the previous elections in 2012.

After the second round of voting, any investigation hasn't been launched so far, said Grybauskaite.

The Baltic state's president declined to comment on possible composition of the coalition and candidates to the prime minister's seat, noting the parties have to find an agreement to form the coalition.

TS-LKD, the winners of the first round of voting, came second with 31 mandates after the runoff on Sunday. The Social Democratic Party (LSDP), the current leader of the government, came third with 17 mandates, and their leaders weren't invited to the presidential palace on Monday.

The leader of LVZS Ramunas Karbauskis thinks TS-LKD and LSDP could both join the coalition to "curb emigration, demographic catastrophe and social exclusion".

"But there are some divisions judging from the latest statements," Karbauskis told local media.

Karbauskis claimed LVZS should get the seats of prime minister and the speaker of the Seimas, or two of the most important positions in the state. The leader of the party had earlier declared he himself would work as the leader of his party at the Seimas.

According to Karbauskis, Saulius Skvernelis, former interior minister and chief police commissioner, and Bronis Rope, currently a member of the European Parliament, could take the posts of prime minister and parliament speaker.

Later on Monday, LVZS announced the party's representatives will start consultations both with the conservatives and the social democrats on Tuesday to prepare the ground for negotiations.

"We are ready to talk," the head of the LSDP's electoral headquarters Algirdas Sysas told journalists after the party's meeting.

Late Monday, the leaders of the conservatives were having a meeting and couldn't be reached for comment.

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