VILNIUS — Seimas speaker Irena Degutienė is not ruling out the possibility that the Liberal and Center Union could pull out of the coalition, which would severely weaken the government.

The coalition has suffered defections since spring began, losing one member who crossed the floor to the newly-formed Christian party, which joined the opposition and turned the coalition into a minority government. Meanwhile a string of government-proposed votes were defeated due to dissension inside the ruling group.

Degutienė made the [private_supervisor]comments following another failed vote that she was a strong supporter of. The vote whether to let non-party members run for local council or for the mayor’s position was voted down in Seimas on Tuesday.

“It’s hard to say [if the Liberal and Center Union will pull out]. Moreover, the deliberations of the party, I think, has been going on more than one day. When Algirdas Čaplikas left his position as health minister, there were rumors that perhaps the Liberal and Center Union will leave the coalition. On two occasions they disapproved Jonas Liesis’ candidacy for vice speaker of the Seimas, so again the debate has begun again,” Degutienė told News Radio.

The bill that sparked the debate about the Liberal and Center Union’s membership in the coalition was about the direct election of citizens to local government, including the mayor’s position. Currently, to be in any level of government, one must be affiliated with a party and can only be affiliated with one party at a time.

The speaker of the Seimas said that the current law stifles democracy because it limits non-affiliated candidates from running.

Degutienė pointed out that the opposition were in support of the bill, but because so many voters abstained, it was not passed.

“Yesterday, at the time of the meeting we clearly saw that the left side — specifically the Social Democrats, who always declared publicly that they are for direct elections of mayors were in favor, but a large part of the sitting of the Seimas of the people did not vote … so, that vote failed,” Degutienė said.

Though the bill got 88 votes in its favor, six against and 18 abstentions, it was not enough to pass it because for a change of the constitution, 94 votes from 141 possible are required. [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]comments following another failed vote that she was a strong supporter of. The vote whether to let non-party members run for local council or for the mayor’s position was voted down in Seimas on Tuesday.

“It’s hard to say [if the Liberal and Center Union will pull out]. Moreover, the deliberations of the party, I think, has been going on more than one day. When Algirdas Čaplikas left his position as health minister, there were rumors that perhaps the Liberal and Center Union will leave the coalition. On two occasions they disapproved Jonas Liesis’ candidacy for vice speaker of the Seimas, so again the debate has begun again,” Degutienė told News Radio.

The bill that sparked the debate about the Liberal and Center Union’s membership in the coalition was about the direct election of citizens to local government, including the mayor’s position. Currently, to be in any level of government, one must be affiliated with a party and can only be affiliated with one party at a time.

The speaker of the Seimas said that the current law stifles democracy because it limits non-affiliated candidates from running.

Degutienė pointed out that the opposition were in support of the bill, but because so many voters abstained, it was not passed.

“Yesterday, at the time of the meeting we clearly saw that the left side — specifically the Social Democrats, who always declared publicly that they are for direct elections of mayors were in favor, but a large part of the sitting of the Seimas of the people did not vote … so, that vote failed,” Degutienė said.

Though the bill got 88 votes in its favor, six against and 18 abstentions, it was not enough to pass it because for a change of the constitution, 94 votes from 141 possible are required. [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]comments following another failed vote that she was a strong supporter of. The vote whether to let non-party members run for local council or for the mayor’s position was voted down in Seimas on Tuesday.

“It’s hard to say [if the Liberal and Center Union will pull out]. Moreover, the deliberations of the party, I think, has been going on more than one day. When Algirdas Čaplikas left his position as health minister, there were rumors that perhaps the Liberal and Center Union will leave the coalition. On two occasions they disapproved Jonas Liesis’ candidacy for vice speaker of the Seimas, so again the debate has begun again,” Degutienė told News Radio.

The bill that sparked the debate about the Liberal and Center Union’s membership in the coalition was about the direct election of citizens to local government, including the mayor’s position. Currently, to be in any level of government, one must be affiliated with a party and can only be affiliated with one party at a time.

The speaker of the Seimas said that the current law stifles democracy because it limits non-affiliated candidates from running.

Degutienė pointed out that the opposition were in support of the bill, but because so many voters abstained, it was not passed.

“Yesterday, at the time of the meeting we clearly saw that the left side — specifically the Social Democrats, who always declared publicly that they are for direct elections of mayors were in favor, but a large part of the sitting of the Seimas of the people did not vote … so, that vote failed,” Degutienė said.

Though the bill got 88 votes in its favor, six against and 18 abstentions, it was not enough to pass it because for a change of the constitution, 94 votes from 141 possible are required. [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]comments following another failed vote that she was a strong supporter of. The vote whether to let non-party members run for local council or for the mayor’s position was voted down in Seimas on Tuesday.

“It’s hard to say [if the Liberal and Center Union will pull out]. Moreover, the deliberations of the party, I think, has been going on more than one day. When Algirdas Čaplikas left his position as health minister, there were rumors that perhaps the Liberal and Center Union will leave the coalition. On two occasions they disapproved Jonas Liesis’ candidacy for vice speaker of the Seimas, so again the debate has begun again,” Degutienė told News Radio.

The bill that sparked the debate about the Liberal and Center Union’s membership in the coalition was about the direct election of citizens to local government, including the mayor’s position. Currently, to be in any level of government, one must be affiliated with a party and can only be affiliated with one party at a time.

The speaker of the Seimas said that the current law stifles democracy because it limits non-affiliated candidates from running.

Degutienė pointed out that the opposition were in support of the bill, but because so many voters abstained, it was not passed.

“Yesterday, at the time of the meeting we clearly saw that the left side — specifically the Social Democrats, who always declared publicly that they are for direct elections of mayors were in favor, but a large part of the sitting of the Seimas of the people did not vote … so, that vote failed,” Degutienė said.

Though the bill got 88 votes in its favor, six against and 18 abstentions, it was not enough to pass it because for a change of the constitution, 94 votes from 141 possible are required. [/private_subscription 1 year]

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