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 Lithuania declared its independence from Soviet Russia and
established its statehood; 11 March 1990 is the date it declared its
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 Valdas ADAMKUS (since 12 July 2004)
head of government: Prime Minister Gediminas KIRKILAS (since 4 July
2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the
nomination of the prime minister
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term
(eligible for a second term); election last held 13 and 27 June 2004
(next to be held June 2009); prime minister appointed by the
president on the approval of the Parliament
election results: Valdas ADAMKUS elected president; percent of vote
- Valdas ADAMKUS 52.2%, Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE 47.8%; Gediminas
KIRKILAS approved by Parliament 85-13, with 5 abstentions
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 10 and 24 October 2004 (next to be held October
2008)
election results: percent of vote by party - Labor 28.6%, Working
for Lithuania (Social Democrats and Social Liberals) 20.7%, TS
14.6%, For Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats and Lithuanian
People's Union) 11.4%, Liberal and Center Union 9.1%, Farmers and
New Democracy Union 6.6%, other 9%; seats by faction - Labor 29,
Homeland Union 26, Social Democrats 23, Civil Democracy (split from
Labor) 11, Liberal Movement (formerly Liberal Political Group) 11,
National Farmer's Union (formerly Farmers and New Democracy Union)
11, Social Liberal 10, Liberal Democrats 9, Liberal and Center Union
8, independents 3 (as of late-July 2006)
Judicial branch:
Constitutional Court; Supreme Court; Court of Appeal; judges for
all courts appointed by the President
Political parties and leaders:
Civil Democracy Party [Viktor MUNTIANAS, chairman]; Electoral
Action of Lithuanian Poles [Valdemar TOMASZEVSKI, chairman];
National Farmer's Union [Kazimiera PRUNSKIENE, chairwoman]; Homeland
Union/Conservative Party or TS [Andrius KUBILIUS, chairman]; Labor
Party [Kestutis DAUKSYS, chairman]; Liberal and Center Union
[Arturas ZUOKAS, chairman]; Liberal Democratic Party [Rolandas
PAKSAS, chairman]; Liberal Movement [Petras AUSTREVICIUS, chairman];
Lithuanian Christian Democrats or LKD [Valentinas STUNDYS,
chairman]; Lithuanian People's Union for a Fair Lithuania [Julius
VESELKA, chairman]; Lithuanian Social Democratic Party [Algirdas
BRAZAUSKAS, chairman]; Social Liberal/New Union [Arturas PAULAUSKAS,
chairman]; Social Union of Christian Conservatives [Gediminas
VAGNORIUS, chairman]; Young Lithuania and New Nationalists
[Stanislovas BUSKEVICIUS, chairman]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA