Paluckas at the cabinet gathering held on Monday (4 August) officially announced that "the nineteenth Lithuanian government resigns". On the same day, president Gitanas Nauseda is to resign. The next step will be the head of state signing a decree to accept it.
Political change in Lithuania
It will besides be Naused's task to order the government to execute its duties temporarily until a fresh cabinet is established and a fresh Prime Minister is appointed. The president has 15 days to present the Sejm for consideration of the candidacy for the position of Head of Government.
After the Sejm approves the fresh Prime Minister, the Council of Ministers and the Government's programme should be presented within the next 15 days. Let us remind you that Prime Minister Paluckas resigned on 31 July in connection with the corruption investigation.
The Prime Minister's problems began after many media reports on his past and current interests. In July, respective editorial offices published reports indicating irregularities, including from a decade ago. In particular, the media revealed that Paluckas did not full regulate a punishment of about $19,000, linked to the 2012 scandal, called "a rat poison scandal".
The Prime Minister was convicted of abuse of his position erstwhile he served as manager of Vilnius City Administration – he wrongly favoured the company that won the tender for deportation. Although he was sentenced to 2 years in prison, the punishment was suspended and did not go to prison. Now the Lithuanian anti-corruption services and law enforcement authorities have again dealt with his case.
Paluckas rejects the charges, naming them as a "coordinated attack" of political opponents. Let us callback that he assumed the office of Prime Minister at the end of last year as the leader of the centre-left Lithuanian Social Democratic Party.
