Roundup: Lithuanian president picks Skvernelis to lead country's gov't

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite decided Tuesday to propose Saulius Skvernelis, one of the leaders of the country's new ruling coalition, as prime minister.

The president signed a decree suggesting the new parliament elect Skvernelis as prime minister.

"Since I'm proposing the candidacy of the prime minister, I partially take responsibility for his and his government's work," Grybauskaite told a press conference.

"Therefore, I and my team stand ready to help as much as we can," she added.

Grybauskaite is to propose Skvernelis' candidacy to the Seimas, Lithuanian parliament, on Thursday. Members of Parliament (MPs) are expected to decide on his candidacy in around a week.

If elected, Skvernelis, the former police chief and the interior minister, pledged to make the government "serve Lithuanian people."

On Tuesday, Skvernelis described cooperation with the president as "constructive."

"I think the cooperation will ensure smooth development of the government and the country as well," Skvernelis told journalists.

He declined to comment to local media on the possible members of the cabinet. Following the approval at the Seimas, the prime minister has 15 days to form the cabinet.

On Tuesday, Grybauskaite and Skvernelis also discussed priorities for the upcoming government.

Despite pledging support, Grybauskaite ensured she would remain "constructively demanding" for the new government.

The president pointed out five tasks for the soon-to-be government, urging it to tackle social exclusion, ensure transparency of the country's governance, reform the education system, strengthen the national defense and implement decisions fostering economic growth.

Grybauskaite also mentioned the harmonization of the labor code and energy security as among the key economic tasks. Endit