Lithuania worried about potential election meddling

VILNIUS, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania's national security commission proposed on Monday banning consultations for the country's political parties and politicians from countries outside the European Union (EU) during election campaigns amid concerns over foreign countries influencing the political processes in the Baltic State.

The National security commission, a governmental security body headed by the country's prime minister, discussed in a sitting on Monday measures to prevent the election meddling.

"There's a proposal that the Ministry of Justice would prepare the amendments banning consultations from third countries during election campaigns," Arnoldas Pikzirnis, the advisor for the Lithuanian prime minister, told local journalists following the commission's sitting.

According to Pikzirnis, the ban would include the countries outside the EU. It remains to be seen, if the ban would apply to NATO countries.

Lithuania, a small Baltic State with a population of less than 3 million, is worried about potential election meddling.

Earlier this year, the Lithuanian counterintelligence warned in its latest report that Russia allegedly could try increasing its influence on social and political processes in Lithuania and was interested in the upcoming Lithuanian president elections in 2019.

Lithuania will hold three key elections next year. The presidential elections are scheduled for May 2019 with elections to municipal councils and to the European Parliament set for next spring as well. Enditem