Independence:
11 March 1990 (independence declared from Soviet Union); 6
September 1991 (Soviet Union recognizes Lithuania's independence)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 16 February (1918); note - 16 February 1918 is
the date of independence from German, Austrian, Prussian, and
Russian occupation, 11 March 1990 is the date of independence from
the Soviet Union
Constitution:
adopted 25 October 1992
Legal system:
based on civil law system; legislative acts can be appealed to the
constitutional court
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Rolandas PAKSAS (since 26 February 2003)
head of government: Premier Algirdas Mykolas BRAZAUSKAS (since 3
July 2001)
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 22 December 2002 and 5 January 2003 (next to be
held in late 2007); premier appointed by the president on the
approval of the Parliament
election results: Rolandas PAKSAS elected president; percent of vote
- Rolandas PAKSAS 54.9%, Valdas ADAMKUS 45.1%
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 8 October 2000 (next to be held NA October 2004)
note: the voting results from the 2000 elections do not correspond
to the make up of the Seimas, which has evolved into a number of
factions, each made up of members of several parties
election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democratic
Coalition 31.1%, New Union-Social Liberals 19.6%, Liberal Union
17.2%, TS 8.6%, remaining parties all less than 5%; seats by faction
- Social Democratic Coalition 51, New Union-Social Liberals 25,
United Political Group-Group of Liberals 24, Liberal Democrats 13,
Conservatives 9, Farmers and New Democracy Parties 8, Mixed Group 6,
independent 1 (four seats unfilled as of 1 June 2003)
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for
all courts appointed by the President
Political parties and leaders:
Electoral Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI,
chairman]; Homeland Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius
KUBILIUS, chairman]; Lithuanian Center Union or LCS [Kestutis
GLAVECKAS, chairman]; Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Kazys
BOBELIS]; Lithuanian Farmer's Party or LUP [Ramunas KARBAUSKIS,
chairman]; Lithuanian Green Party [Rimantas BRAZIULIS]; Lithuanian
Liberal Youth [Neringa MOROZAITE]; Lithuanian National Democratic
Party [Vygintas GONTIS]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Coalition
[Algirdas BRAZAUSKAS, chairman] consists of the Lithuanian
Democratic Labor Party or LDDP, the Lithuanian Social Democratic
Party or LSDP, and New Democracy; Moderate Conservative Union
[Gediminas VAGNORIUS]; Modern Christian Democratic Union [Vytautas
BOGUSIS, chairman]; New Democracy and Farmer's Union [Kazimiera
PRUNSKIENE, chairman]; New Union-Social Liberals [Arturas
PAULAUSKAS, chairman]; Young Lithuania [Arnoldas PLATELIS]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA