BNS: Lithuania - 17 parties allowed to run for EP
Updated 2009-04-17
VILNIUS, Apr 17, BNS - Lithuania's Justice Ministry checked candidate lists of 17 parties aiming to run for the upcoming elections to the European Parliament (EP) and confirmed to the Central Electoral Committee on Friday that the lists were in keeping with laws and all parties satisfied the qualifications for the polls.
The New Union (Social Liberals) and the Lithuanian Alliance of Russians will not be able to participate in the elections as independent parties because their documents were turned in after the deadline.
The verified candidate list revealed certain inaccuracies, for instance, incomplete data of some persons and absence in the database of the Register of Residents, the Justice Ministry said. Nevertheless, the shortcomings did not have a major effect on the number of party members and all lists were approved as meeting the requirements.
The doors for the elections were opened to the following parties: the Order and Justice Party, the Samogitian political party, the Labor Party, the Center Party, the Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action, the Lithuanian Social Democrat Party, the Liberal Movement, the Peasant Popular Union, the Civil Democracy Party, the Social Union of the Christian Conservatives, the Laborist Party, the Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the national movement Lithuania's Way and the National Resurrection Party.
All political parties were to turn in to the Ministry of Justice their member lists according to the government-provided procedure no later than 65 days prior to the elections, i.e. by April 2, as stipulated in the Law on Political Parties. The ministry then had 15 days to verify whether the numbers of party members satisfied the requirements that parties should have at least 1,000 members - Lithuanian citizens of adult age.
General elections for the new term of the 736-seat EP will take place throughout Europe in the beginning of June of 2009, with the election date in Lithuania set for June 7. Lithuania gets 12 EP mandates.
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