Lithuanian government resigns following parliamentary elections

In a move following Lithuania's parliamentary elections, the government led by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė has resigned.

The Cabinet of Ministers submitted their resignation to the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

Under the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, when a new session of the Seimas (parliament) begins, the government must step down. Following this, members of parliament are tasked with electing a new Prime Minister, who will then form a new Cabinet. The parliament has 15 days to elect a new Prime Minister.

President Nausėda has instructed the outgoing ministers to continue performing their duties until a new government is formed.

The final day of the previous parliamentary session was marked by the failure of a vote to declare the Communist Party of Lithuania a criminal organisation. The proposal was supported by 56 MPs, with three abstentions.

Meanwhile, Lithuania’s centre-left opposition parties celebrated their victory on October 28 after defeating the centre-right ruling coalition in the final round of national elections.

With all votes counted from poll, the Social Democrats secured 52 seats in the 141-member Seimas, ending the four-year tenure of the Homeland Union government, which was led by conservative Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

The Social Democrats will now begin negotiations to form a majority cabinet with two smaller centre-left parties: the Democratic Union, which won 14 seats, and the Union of Peasants and Greens, which secured 8 seats. Together, the coalition is expected to hold at least 74 seats.

Šimonytė’s Homeland Union only managed to secure 28 seats in the two-round election.

Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, the leader of the Social Democrats, expressed her gratitude to supporters as a jubilant crowd gathered in central Vilnius to celebrate the win.

By Aghakazim Guliyev