PaksasGate: Lithuania impeaches a president

Problems of Post-Communism

Volumn 52, Issue 3, 2005, Pages 16-24

  Clark, Terry D ^a   Verseckaité, Eglé ^b  

^a CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b VILNIUS UNIVERSITY   (Lithuania)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 21144448065     PISSN: 10758216     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/10758216.2005.11052200     Document Type: Review

References (31)

1. Lithuania's constitution requires a three-fifths vote (85 of the 141 members) in the national parliament, the Seimas, in order for the president to be found guilty on a charge for impeachment. The president need only be found guilty of one charge to be removed from office. One hundred and fifteen members of the Seimas voted by secret ballot on the three charges against Paksas. Twenty-six members, including some supporters of the president who did not belong to his party, boycotted the impeachment vote. Eighty-six members voted guilty on the first two charges, and eighty-nine voted guilty on the third. Charge one received eleven spoiled ballots and seventeen nay votes. Charge two received ten spoiled ballots and eighteen nay votes. Charge three received twelve spoiled ballots and fourteen nay votes.
2. For a synopsis of the campaign and Paksas's victory, see Terry D. Clark and Kȩstutis Paulauskas, "Future Prospects for Lithuania Following the Surprise Victory of Rolandas Paksas," European Rim and Policy Investment Council (February 3, 2003);
3. available at www.erpic.org/perihelion/articles2003/february/lithuania. htm.
4. The socio-economic basis of the political cleavages in Lithuania is frequently discussed by Mindaugas Jurkynas in the weekly newspaper Atgimimas. See, for example, June 18-24, 2004, July 2-8, 2004, and October 29-30, 2004, all available at www.atgimimas.lt.
5. Also see Mindaugas Jurkynas, "Po rinkimu: ispèjantis pranešimas?" (After the Elections: A Warning Sign),Veidas (January 9, 2003), available at www.veidas.lt.
6. Kandidato i Lietuvos Respublikos Prezidentus Rolando Pakso Programa (Political Program of Rolandas Paksas, Candidate for the Presidency of the Lithuanian parliament). Available in Lithuanian at the Parliament of Lithuania's Web site: www3.lrs.lt.
7. Gintaras Sarafinas, "Prezidentu tapo klanas" (The Clan Becomes President), Veidas (January 9, 2003), available at www.veidas.lt.
8. Raimundas Lopata and Audrius Matonis, Prezidento suktukas (The President: Aerial Corkscrew) (Vilnius: Versus Aureus leidykla, 2004), pp. 38-39.
9. "Dél negatyviu tendenciju, keliančiu grésmȩ valstybés nacionaliniam saugumui" (About Negative Tendencies Creating a Threat to National Security), Lietuvos Rytas (November 3, 2003).
10. Lopata and Matonis, Prezidento suktukas, pp. 53-62.
11. Vagnorius's government had failed to ensure a wholly transparent privatization process. Furthermore, he was unable to account for receipts from the sale of energy to neighboring Belarus.
12. For a complete review of these events, see Terry D. Clark and Brian Bartels, "A Year of Political Turmoil," Transitions Online Country Files: Lithuania: Annual Report 1999, available at www.tol.cz/countries/Iitar99. html;
13. Terry D. Clark and Kȩstutis Paulauskas, "When Oil and Politics Mix: The Privatization of Lithuania's Oil Industry," Russia and Eurasia Review 1, no. 13 (December 3, 2002), available at www.jamestown.org.
14. For a review of the events leading up to Paksas's resignation, see Terry D. Clark and Dovilé Jakniūnaitè, "Lithuania 2001: A Steady Course," Transitions Online, Country Files: Lithuania: Annual Report 2001, available at www.tol.cz.
15. "R. Paksas žada nauju akcentu' Lietuvos užsienio politikoje" (R. Paksas Promises a New Line in Lithuanian Foreign Policy), Baltic News Service (BNS) (January 15, 2003).
16. Lopata and Matonis, Prezidento suktukas, pp. 257-82.
17. "Dèl negatyviu tendenciju."
18. Transcript, Parliament of Lithuania, www3.lrs.lt/posedziai/4/ fakt_pos_863.htm.
19. For a copy of the plan, see Lopata and Matonis, Prezidento suktukas, pp. 314-17,
20. or Lietuvos Rytas (November 12, 2003).
21. Lopata and Matonis, Prezidento suktukas, pp. 319-24.
22. Laima Žemulienè, "Bažnyžia - ne vien tik Bažnyčios vadovai," Lietuvos rytas (December 17, 2003).
23. "Slapta irašytas Prezidento pokalbis nebus viešinamas," Atgimimas (November 12, 2003), available at www.atgimimas.lt.
24. For a copy of the report, see Lopata and Matonis, Prezidento suktukas, pp. 335-50. The parliamentary transcript is available at www3.lrs.lt/posedziai/ 4/fakt_pos_879.htm.
25. "A. Brazauskas: jeigu būčiau prezidentas - atsistatydinčiau" (A. Brazauskas: If I Were President, I Would Resign), Atgimimas (December 2, 2003), available at www.atgimimas.lt.
26. "Komisija išklaus sa̧jnokslo prieš Prezidenta̧ teorija̧" (The Commission Listens to a Theory About a Conspiracy Against the President), Lithuanian News Agency (ELTA) (January 14, 2004).
27. For a copy of the resolution, see Lopata and Matonis, Prezidento suktukas, pp. 352-67.
28. The Seimas vote is recorded at www3.lrs.lt/posedziai/4/ klaus_stadija_13669.htm.
29. A transcript of the session is available at www3.lrs.lt/posedziai/4/ fakt_pos_910.htm.
30. The transcripts of the two sessions are available at www3.lrs.lt/ posedziai/4/fakt_pos_931.htm, and www3.lrs.lt/posedziai/4/fakt_pos_932.htm.
31. The Seimas vote is recorded at www3.lrs.lt/posedziai/4/ klaus_stadija_14713.htm.