Legal system: based on civil law system; no judicial review of legislative acts
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Valdas ADAMKUS (since 26 February 1998)
head of government: Premier Gediminas VAGNORIUS (since 28 November
1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the premier
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 21 December 1997 and 5 January 1998 (next to be
held NA 2003); premier appointed by the president on the approval of
the Parliament
election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of
vote—Valdas ADAMKUS 50.37%, Arturas PAULAUSKAS 49.7%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Seimas (141 seats,
71 members are directly elected by popular vote, 70 are elected by
proportional representation; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 October and 10 November 1996 (next to be
held NA October 2000)
election results: percent of vote by party—NA; seats by party—TS 69,
LKDP 15, LCS 15, LDDP 12, LSDP 10, DP 2, independents 12, others 6
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges appointed by the
Parliament; Court of Appeal, judges appointed by the Parliament
Political parties and leaders: Christian Democratic Party or LKDP
Political pressure groups and leaders: Lithuanian Future Forum
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE,
EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU,
ICRM, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user),
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Stasys SAKALAUSKAS chancery: 2622 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 consulate(s) general: Chicago and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Keith C. SMITH embassy: Akmenu 6, 2600 Vilnius mailing address: American Embassy, Vilnius, PSC 78, Box V, APO AE 09723