SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA LAW ON POLITICAL PARTIES Article
- Only a citizen of Lithuania who possesses an active voting right may be a member of a political party. Citizens of Lithuania can belong to only one political party at a time. Article
- Political parties function in accordance with the Provisional Basic Law, this law, and other laws of the Republic of Lithuania, and conduct their activity according to party charters registered in the established manner. Political parties, their subdivisions and organisations of other countries may not be established and may not function on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. The establishment or activity of political parties whose program documents propagate and whose activities practice racial, religious, social class inequality and hatred, methods of authoritarian or totalitarian rule, methods of forcible (violent) seizure of power, war, and violent propaganda, violation of human rights and freedoms, or other ideas or actions which contradict the constitutional order of the Republic of Lithuania and are incompatible with universally recognized norms of international law, is strictly forbidden. Leading party institutions must operate only on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania. Article
- In order to found a political party, the party must have no less than four hundred members in Lithuania, a charter approved by a party conference, a party program, and an elected leadership. The party program and charter of the founded party may not contradict the laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Article
- Political parties shall be registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania. The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania shall register political parties no later than one month after receiving the minutes of a party conference or meeting if there are no violations of Articles 1, 2, or 3 of this law. The name and symbols of the registered political party must differ from the names and symbols of parties already registered. If registration is refused, the founders of that political party must be informed of such a decision no later than within three days, in writing, indicating the reasons for refusal. Political parties must inform the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania of any changes to its charter or party program within 15 days of such changes, by filing the documents specified in this Article with the Ministry. If a political party changes its name, it shall be reregistered in the manner established by this law. Political parties and organisations listed in the party's charter shall be legal persons from the day the party is registered. Article
- The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania shall suspend activities of a political party if it violates the Provisional Basic Law of the Republic of Lithuania or this law. The Ministry of Justice, after learning of a violation of the law, shall inform, in writing, the leading institutions of a political party, indicating what provisions of the law have been violated and setting the time for the elimination of the violation. If the violation is not eliminated by the set time, the activities of the political party shall be suspended. During an election campaign, the activities of a political party may only be suspended by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Lithuania. After the suspension of activities of a political party, the party shall be forbidden to use any and all media of mass information, conduct campaigning or propaganda activity, or participate in elections. The activities of a political party may not be suspended for a period longer than six months. If a political party does not eliminate legal violations after its activities have been suspended or if, within a year after the date its activities were suspended, it again violates the laws of the Republic of Lithuania, its activities shall be suspended for one year. After eliminating legal violations, a political party shall notify the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania [of this fact], and the Ministry, within five days of the receipt of such notification, shall permit the political party to resume its activities. Article
- Activities of a political party shall be suspended if:
(1)the party itself discontinues its activity in the manner provided by its charter;
(2)the Supreme Court orders the suspension of activities of a political party. Article
- After a motion of the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court of the Republic of Lithuania has the authority to order the suspension of the activities of a political party, if after a repeated suspension of its activities within a year the party shall violate the Provisional Basic Law or this law. Article
- Refusal to register a political party or the suspension of its activities may be appealed to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Lithuania; (the Court) will rule [on this case] within 3 days, giving it special judicial preference. Article
- All political parties on the territory of the Republic shall function freely and independently. State bodies, enterprises, institutions, and organisations, as well as public organisations and officials shall be prohibited to interfere in the internal affairs of a political party. Persons interfering in the functioning of a political party shall be held accountable according to the laws of the Republic of Lithuania. State bodies, enterprises, institutions, and organisations, as well as public organisations, other political parties, and also private persons must compensate a political party for any material or moral damage inflicted on it by illegal action. Article
- The structure of a political party organisation shall be based on the principle of territorial divisions. Political party organisations may not be established or function in work collectives. Officers or non-commisioned officers of the defence force of the Republic of Lithuania, personnel of the services of internal affairs or state security institutions, judges, procurators, or interrogators may not be members of political parties. Party membership of persons called for defense service or persons approved by the Supreme Council or the Government of the Republic of Lithuania for positions in the Departments of National Defense or State Security, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Procuracy-General, as well as officers of the Department of State Control, shall be suspended for the duration of their service or employment. Persons whose membership in a political party has been suspended may not vote or be elected to the organisational bodies of a political party, nor may such persons execute the directives of their party. Article
- Political parties shall be entitled to ownership of buildings, equipment, publishing houses, printing offices, means of transportation, and other property necessary for the fulfillment of objectives established in their charters. The rights of ownership of political parties shall be regulated by laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Political parties shall be entitled to use buildings and other property in accordance with lease contracts concluded with state and public organisations, enterprises and private persons. The capital of political parties shall consist of membership fees, proceeds from publishing activities, donations from private citizens or public organisations, and other proceeds derived from legal sources. Bodies of state power and government, state enterprises, offices, or organisations have no right in any form or manner to finance political parties, their organisations, deputies, or groups which represent political parties. Political parties may not receive finances or any other funds given by governmental institutions of other countries or their organisations or financial foundations. Political parties may receive finances or other resources from international organisations, non-governmental organisations, financial foundations, or persons, only according to procedures established by laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Any finances or assets obtained illegally shall be transferred to the property of the Republic of Lithuania by a decision of the court. A party member is not entitled to ownership of party property and is not responsible for the liabilities of a political party. Article
- Political parties represented in the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania shall be entitled to subsidies from the State Budget of the Republic of Lithuania in accordance with the procedure established by law. Article
- Financial activities of political parties shall be monitored by financial institutions of the Republic. Political parties shall file a declaration on their annual financial activity with financial institutions each fiscal year and make the budget revenue and its resources, expenditures, and its appropriation available to the public no later than on or before 1 February of the proceeding year. Article
- All political parties shall be equally entitled to participate in the election of government institutions. During elections, all candidates to the post of deputy shall be provided with equal opportunities to use the mass media, free of charge, in accordance with procedures established by the Election Law of the Republic of Lithuania. Central institutions of political parties shall have the right to legislative initiative. Article
- Political parties shall be entitled to form coalitions, unions, and electoral blocks. Article
- Political parties shall be entitled to free vocal or written dissemination of information on their activity, to propagate its ideas, goals, and programs. Political parties shall have the right to establish media of mass information, with the exception of radio and television, and also, in conformity with established regulations, to make use of the of the state press and other mass media. Article
- In accordance with procedures established by laws of the Republic of Lithuania, political parties have the right to hold rallies, demonstrations, meetings, and other mass events. Article
- A political party which by illegal actions inflicts material or moral damage to the state, its enterprises, institutions, organisations, other political parties or public organisations, must compensate for such damage from its resources in accordance with procedures established by the laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Article
- Political parties have the right to maintain relations with political parties of other countries, as well as international and other organisations. Article
- The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Lithuania shall monitor the compliance of political parties with the laws of the Republic of Lithuania. The Procurator-General of the Republic of Lithuania has the right to suspend or terminate the functioning of a political party. Political parties may appeal for the suspension or termination of the functioning of other political parties. Demands or appeals to suspend or terminate the functioning of a political party must be considered within a month from the receipt thereof. Vytautas Landsbergis President Supreme Council Republic of Lithuania 25 September 1990 No. I-606