Opposition MPs in the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, plan to ask the Constitutional Court to review the formation of the new government of Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius, ELTA reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, leader of the Lithuanian Liberal Movement (LLS), said that there were “several legitimate questions” regarding the procedure of approving the government. Earlier, law professor Egidijus Kuris noted that Sinkevicius had submitted his government’s draft programme to the parliament before President Gitanas Nauseda had signed a decree to approve the new cabinet of ministers. Sinkevicius insisted that the government programme was presented to the parliament after the president had already signed the decree, however.
Meanwhile, MPs of the ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) intend to submit an analogous appeal to the Constitutional Court, contesting the legitimacy of the former government led by the opposition Homeland Union (TS-LKD), Lietuvos Rytas reported. When the government headed by Ingrida Simonyte was appointed in December 2020, its draft programme was registered in parliament almost two hours before the presidential decree approving the cabinet was signed. Orinta Leipute, leader of LSDP’s parliamentary group, insisted that the procedure of approving an incoming government must be assessed consistently and in accordance with the same constitutional standard. LSDP will therefore seek clarification from the Constitutional Court on the procedure.