Those in power collected signatures for an extraordinary session of the Seimas

Those in power collected signatures to hold an extraordinary session of the Seimas. During the extraordinary session initiated on February 12-15, it is proposed to decide on the demands raised by the farmers during the protest, as well as to decide on the destruction of the legal immunity of the parliamentarian Remigijaus Žemaitaitis, who is accused of anti-Semitism.

The draft of the extraordinary session of the Seimas was signed by 50 governing representatives.

“We have the signatures and we have completed the agenda by consensus. Of course, the main issues that will be heard the most in the public are the issue of excise taxes – both crude diesel and liquefied petroleum gas”, said Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, elder of the Eltai conservative faction in the Seimas, noting that compromise options will be proposed for these issues.

According to the elder of the conservative faction, it is intended to decide on these initiatives as a matter of urgency.

R. Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė informs that during the extraordinary session of the Seimas it is proposed to decide on the issue of the annulment of the immunity of Remigijaus Žemaitaitis, who is accused of anti-Semitism. It is also intended to consider amendments to the statute of the Seimas, which provide for open voting during the impeachment process.

According to the representative of the conservatives, it is proposed to schedule the sessions of the Seimas on February 12, 14 and 15.

After the farmers’ protest broke out in the capital last week, the opposition of the Seimas called for an extraordinary parliamentary session. Representatives of the Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union (LVŽS) were among the first to speak about it, later the idea was supported by the Social Democrats and the Labor Party. However, the representatives of the opposition said that they have not yet started collecting the necessary signatures of 47 Seimas members to support the initiative.

The head of parliament, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, also mentioned the possibility of solving farmers’ issues in the extraordinary session. After the meeting with the protesters, she indicated that the spring session of the Seimas will begin with the resolution of issues relevant to farmers, but the politician did not rule out that there will be an initiative in the parliament to convene an extraordinary session as well.

An extraordinary session can be convened at the suggestion of at least one third of parliamentarians – that is, the initiative must be supported by at least 47 members of the Seimas.

Gailė Jaruševičiūtė-Mockuvienė (ELTA)