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Parties finalize Lithuanian ruling coalition

Xinhua, November 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Peasants and Greens Union (LVZS), the winner of Lithuania's parliamentary elections, and the Social Democratic party (LSDP) signed a coalition agreement on Wednesday.

The document to form the new ruling coalition of the Baltic State was signed by the country's prime minister and the leader of the social democratic party Algirdas Butkevicius and the leader of LVZS Ramunas Karbauskis.

According to the agreement, LVZS will have 11 seats at the 14-minister cabinet, while LSDP were left with three ministers. The prime minister and the speaker of the parliament will be proposed by LVZS. Saulius Skvernelis, the former interior minister and the chief of police, will be nominated to become the head of government.

"I want government to be more determined, decisive, modern, transparent, and to have a clear vision," Skvernelis told local journalists on Wednesday.

Both sides haven't yet publicly announced their candidates for government posts.

According to the coalition agreement, LSDP are allowed to vote independently on human rights issues.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite will propose a prime ministerial candidate to the Seimas, Lithuanian parliament, next week.

"By choosing cooperation with the social democrats, the Peasants and Greens Union takes the major burden of responsibility for the governance of the country," Grybauskaite announced in a public statement.

Lithuania's new ruling coalition is expected to take the office in early December.

Two weeks ago, LVZS won the country's parliamentary elections, securing 56 seats of the country's 141-seat parliament and received a mandate to form the ruling coalition and the government. LSDP, the leader of the outgoing government, came third with 17 seats.

LVZS said their parliamentary group will have 59-60 seats, LSDP expects to have 19 members, bringing the total number of coalition members to 78-79, reports news website vz.lt.

The conservative party the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) with 31 seats will remain as opposition. Endit