Lithuania’s ruling coalition rejects presidential “threats”

“The council of the ruling coalition parties expresses concern over the president’s recent tendentious statements the contents of which runs counter to the principles of parliamentary democracy and potentially violate the principle of separation of powers, enshrined in the Constitution,” reads the statement signed by Social Democratic Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius, Speaker of the Seimas Loreta Graužinienė, leader of the Labour Party, leader of the Order and Justice party Rolandas Paksas and Valdemar Tomaševski, leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania.

It comes in response to Lithuanian Grybauskaitė’s previous statement that she will not approve ministers who have not sacked vice-ministers on the so-called “blacklist” submitted by the country’s Special Investigation Service. Otherwise, the ruling coalition can be called “criminal” she said.

According to media reports, the list contains names of nine vice-ministers.

The incumbent government will return its powers to President Grybauskaitė following her inauguration for a second term on July 12.