SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA S T A T U T E 17 February 1994 No I-399 Vilnius (As last amended on 27 June 2013  No XII-425) PART I STATUS OF A MEMBER OF THE SEIMAS Chapter I Powers and the Oath of a Member of the Seimas Article 1. Mandate of a Member of the Seimas 1. The main rights and duties of a Member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter: ‘a Member of the Seimas’) shall be defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter: ‘the Constitution’) and this Statute, and his other rights and duties shall also be defined by other laws of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter: ‘laws’). 2. In performing his duties, a Member of the Seimas shall act in compliance with the Constitution, the interests of the State and his own conscience and may not be restricted by any mandate. Article 2. Beginning of the Powers and Acquisition of the Rights of a Member of the Seimas 1. The powers of Members of the Seimas shall begin on the day that the newly elected Seimas convenes for the first time. The powers of the previously elected Members of the Seimas shall expire upon the commencement of the said sitting. 2. An elected Member of the Seimas shall acquire all of the rights of a representative of the Nation only upon taking the oath of loyalty to the Republic of Lithuania at a Seimas sitting. A Member of the Seimas who has not taken the oath shall not have the rights established in Chapter 2 of this Statute, shall not make use of the resources provided for his activities nor of the guarantees of his activities specified in Chapter 3 of this Statute and shall not receive the salary of a Member of the Seimas. Article 3. Text of the Oath of a Member of the Seimas 1. The text of the oath of a Member of the Seimas shall read as follows: “I (forename, surname) swear to be faithful to the Republic of Lithuania; to respect and observe its Constitution and laws and to protect the integrity of its territory; to strengthen to the best of my ability the independence of Lithuania, to conscientiously serve my Homeland, democracy, and the well-being of the people of Lithuania. So help me God.” 2. The oath may be taken omitting the last sentence. Article 4. Procedure for Taking the Oath of a Member of the Seimas 1. The oath of a Member of the Seimas shall be administered by the President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the Constitutional Court), or, in his absence or in the event that the he is temporarily unable to discharge the duties of his office, by the judge of the Constitutional Court, acting as the President of the Constitutional Court. 2. A Member of the Seimas shall take the oath while standing in front of the person who administers the oath, and reading the oath, holding his hand on the Constitution. 3. Having read the oath, a Member of the Seimas shall sign the nominal oath sheet. 4. The text of the oath shall not be amended and changed; only the last sentence of the oath may be struck out. A Member of the Seimas who does not comply with this provision, refuses to sign the nominal oath sheet or signs the sheet with a stipulation shall not be considered to have taken the oath. 5. Nominal oath sheets shall be handed over to the President or the judge of the Constitutional Court, who has administered the oath, who shall check them and read the names of the Members of the Seimas who have acquired all of the rights of a representative of the nation. 6. A Member of the Seimas must take the oath anew if, upon termination of his powers, he has again become a Member of the Seimas pursuant to the Constitution and laws. 7. A Member of the Seimas must take the oath at the first sitting of a newly elected Seimas. A Member of the Seimas who is not able to attend the first sitting of a newly elected Seimas due to the especially important justifiable cause shall take the oath at the next Seimas sitting following the disappearance of such especially important justifiable cause. A Member of the Seimas who is elected later shall take the oath at the next Seimas sitting following his election. Article 5. Consequences in the Event of Failure of a Member of the Seimas to Take the Oath A Member of the Seimas who fails to take the oath in the manner prescribed by this Statute or who takes a conditional oath shall lose the mandate of a Member of the Seimas under Article 59 of the Constitution. The Seimas shall adopt a resolution thereon. Article 6. Compatibility of the Duties of a Member of the Seimas 1. The duties of a Member of the Seimas, with the exception of his duties in the Seimas, shall be incompatible with any other duties in state agencies and organisations and with any job in business, commercial and other private agencies or enterprises. 2. For his term of office, a Member of the Seimas shall be exempt from the duty to perform national defence service. 3. A Member of the Seimas may be appointed only as Prime Minister or Minister. Article 7. Certificate and Badge of a Member of the Seimas 1. A Member of the Seimas shall have a certificate of a Member of the Seimas and a badge of a Member of the Seimas which shall be used by him during his term of office. 2. A certificate shall be presented to a Member of the Seimas after the proclamation of election results, and a badge - after taking the oath. 3. A sample of a badge of a Member of the Seimas shall be approved by the Board of the Seimas. Article 8. Termination of the Powers of a Member of the Seimas 1. The powers of a Member of the Seimas shall be terminated: 1) upon the expiry of his term of office or when the Seimas elected in pre-term elections convenes for the first time; 2) upon his death; 3) upon his resignation by handing in the written notification of resignation; 4) if he is declared legally incapable by the court; 5) if the Seimas revokes his mandate in accordance with impeachment proceedings; 6) if the elections are deemed invalid or if the Law on Elections to the Seimas is grossly violated; 7) if, upon election a Member of the European Parliament or a municipal councillor, he does not relinquish his mandate as Member of the European Parliament or municipal councillor or if he takes up or does not give up employment incompatible with the requirements of paragraph 1 of Article 60 of the Constitution or paragraph 1 of Article 6 of this Statute or 8) if he is deprived of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania. 2. The resolution of the Seimas to terminate the powers of a Member of the Seimas on the grounds provided for in subparagraph 7 of Article 63 of the Constitution and subparagraph 7 of paragraph 1 of this Article shall be adopted by majority vote, i.e. more than half of all the Members of the Seimas.  Chapter II Activities of A Member of the Seimas Article 9. Rights of a Member of the Seimas A Member of the Seimas shall, in the manner prescribed by this Statute, have the right to: 1) vote on all issues being considered at Seimas sittings, committee or commission of which he is a member; 2) elect and be elected to any office in the Seimas; 3) participate in a discussion concerning all issues under consideration and present his motions, observations, amendments, vocally or in writing; 4) submit the text of his speech which has not been made to the chair a sitting for inclusion in the verbatim report of the sitting; 5) propose issues to the Seimas for consideration; 6) prepare and submit to the Seimas for consideration drafts of laws and other legal acts and put forward motions concerning the laws which are to be debated in the Seimas; 7) put questions to rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs during the Seimas sittings; 8) make statements and remarks, speak on voting motives, and put motions relative to the conduct, procedure of a sitting; 9) obtain, directly or through an assistant, copies of the registered drafts of laws and copies of the laws and other acts passed by the Seimas, decisions and draft decisions of the Speaker of the Seimas, the Board of the Seimas and the Conference of Chairs, drafts of the legal acts prepared by the Government, resolutions passed by other State government and administration institutions, and legal acts of public officials; 10) attend sittings of all Seimas committees and commissions, and Government sittings and, when necessary, attend sittings of State government and administration institutions at which issues submitted by him are discussed, and, upon advance notice, other sittings at which the issues in which he is interested are discussed, except the sittings concerning State secrets, the procedure for the consideration whereof shall be established by law; 11) make inquiries to the Government members, the heads of other state institutions, submit questions to them and to the Seimas officials and 12) together with other Members of the Seimas: a) submit a draft law on the amendment of the Constitution, b) initiate impeachment, c) start no-confidence, interpellation proceedings, d) convene an extraordinary Seimas session and an extraordinary sitting, e) appeal to the Constitutional Court, f) otherwise act in accordance with the provisions of this Statute. Article 10.   Participation of a Member of the Seimas in Work of the Seimas 1. A Member of the Seimas must participate in Seimas sittings. 2. Each Member of the Seimas, with the exception of the Speaker of the Seimas and the Prime Minister, must serve as a member of some committee and participate in the work thereof and he may also serve as a substitute for a member of another committee. 3. Each Member of the Seimas may serve as a member of only one committee, except for the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on European Affairs, which may consist of the members of other committees. 4. The Speaker of the Seimas and the Prime Minister may not serve as a member of a committee or his substitute. 5. A Member of the Seimas must participate in meetings of the Board of the Seimas, the Conference of Chairs, the Seimas committees, commissions and subcommittees a member of which he is. 6. A Member of the Seimas must participate in meetings of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures upon a written invitation of the Commission Chair. If a Member of the Seimas is unable to participate in that meeting, he must inform in writing the Commission Chair and specify the reasons for failure to participate. The Commission for Ethics and Procedures may consider violations of ethics by a Member of the Seimas, matters relating to alignment of private and public interests even without the attendance of the invited Member of the Seimas, if such is his request and he submits explanations thereto or repeatedly fails to attend a Commission without an important justifiable reason. Article 11. Attendance of Members of the Seimas at Sittings and their Business Trips Abroad 1. It shall be deemed that a Member of the Seimas has attended a Seimas sitting if he has registered at more than half of votings on adoption of a legal act, which were scheduled in advance and held at the scheduled time, and has registered in all Seimas sittings of that day. It shall be deemed that a Member of the Seimas has attended a Seimas committee or Seimas commission meeting if he registered against his signature in the annex to the minutes of the meeting. 2. If a Member of the Seimas is unable to attend a Seimas sitting, a Seimas committee or commission meeting, he must, in advance or if not possible in advance – not later than within one week, notify respectively the Secretariat of Seimas Sittings, the committee or commission chair specifying the reasons of non-attendance. 3. Important, justifiable reasons for non-attendance at Seimas sittings and at Seimas committee or commission meetings shall include temporary working incapacity, business trip, child-rearing leave of a Member of the Seimas or other important circumstances, and non-attendance at sittings or meetings with the approval of the Board of the Seimas. If a Member of the Seimas fails to inform that he will not attend a sitting or meeting or to indicate the reasons for non-attendance, it shall be deemed that a sitting or meeting has been missed without an important justifiable reason. 4. The Secretariat of Seimas Sittings shall record notifications of the Members of the Seimas concerning non-attendance at Seimas sittings, and the secretariats of the Seimas committees and commissions - about non-attendance of the Members of the Seimas at meetings of the committees and commissions. Such information together with the documents justifying the non-attendance at a sitting or meeting and the conclusions of the chairs of the committees or commissions must be furnished to the Commission for Ethics and Procedures before the 10th of the next month. 5. The Commission for Ethics and Procedures shall decide whether or not the reasons for non-attendance at a Seimas meeting are important and justifiable, the chairs of the Seimas committees and commission decide whether or not the reasons for non-attendance at a committee or commission meeting are important and justifiable. Disputes whether or not the reasons for non-attendance at a committee or commission meeting are important and justifiable shall be solved by the Commission for Ethics and Procedures, taking into account the conclusions of the chairs of the appropriate committees and commissions and the explanations of a Member of the Seimas. 6. The chair of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures shall announce the preceding month’s data on the non-attendance of Members of the Seimas at Seimas sittings and meetings of the Seimas committees and commissions, summarised before the 20th of each month, to the Board of the Seimas and put it on the website of the Seimas. 7. If the Board of the Seimas sends not fewer that two Members of the Seimas on a business trip to participate in the same event, these Members of the Seimas shall compose a group and the Board of the Seimas shall appoint a leader of the group. 8. A Member of the Seimas who has been sent on a business trip alone or who alone has gone on a trip abroad to which the Board of the Seimas has given its consent, or a leader of a group of  Members of the Seimas must, not later than within ten days of returning from the business trip abroad or the trip abroad to which the Board of the Seimas has given its consent, submit a report on the fulfilment of the assignments in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Board of the Seimas. 9. If the Board of the Seimas sends a Member of the Seimas on a business trip as a member of the delegation accompanying the President of the Republic of Lithuania or the delegation led by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, in such cases a Member of the Seimas is not obliged to write a report on the fulfilment of the assignments. A copy of the activity report of the delegation which comprised the Member of the Seimas shall be submitted to the Seimas by an institution which formed the delegation. 10. The provisions of paragraphs 2 and 4 of this Article shall not apply to the member of the Board of the Seimas and to the Members of the Seimas holding the office of the Prime Minister or a Minister. Article 12. Work of a Member of the Seimas with Voters 1. A Member of the Seimas must hold regular meetings with voters and inform them about his activities. He shall have the right to invite officials of State and municipal institutions and agencies, municipal officials and municipal councillors to participate in the meetings. 2. A Member of the Seimas shall examine proposals, requests and complaints and, when necessary, shall refer them to state institutions for consideration. 3. Complaints of voters which fall within the remit of a Seimas ombudsman may be referred to a Seimas ombudsman for investigation. They shall be addressed in accordance with the procedure established by the Law on Seimas Ombudsmen. 4. All officials and heads of enterprises, agencies and organisations to whom an appeal of a Member of the Seimas is addressed or to whom proposals, requests and complaints of voters have been referred by a Member of the Seimas must consider them and reply to a Member of the Seimas not later than within 20 days of the receipt thereof. Chapter III PROVISION OF conditions and Guarantees necessary for the activities of A Member of the Seimas Article 13.   Duties of Local Authorities to Provide Conditions for the Activities of Members of the Seimas 1. Local authorities and their executive bodies and heads of state enterprises, agencies and organisations, must provide a Member of the Seimas with conditions enabling him to meet with voters, announce of the time and place of such meetings and provide him with other necessary assistance and information. 2. Local authorities must allot and maintain permanent premises for Members of the Seimas elected in single-candidate electoral areas to receive voters. 3. Local authorities must allot properly arranged premises for Members of the Seimas elected in multi-candidate electoral areas to receive voters and hold meetings. Article 14. Visits of Members of the Seimas to Enterprises, Agencies and Organisations 1. A Member of the Seimas shall have the right to demand to be received without delay at enterprises, agencies and organisations concerning issues which pertain to his activities and the right to be provided with necessary information. 2. A Member of the Seimas shall have the right to unrestricted access to all enterprises, agencies and organisations. The procedure for visiting enterprises, agencies and organisations whose activities are associated with the protection of State secrets and the procedure for the protection of the information considered a State secret which has been acquired by a Member of the Seimas shall be established by law. Article 15. Salary of a Member of the Seimas 1. Compensation for the work of a Member of the Seimas and for the expenses related to his parliamentary activities shall be covered from the State Budget. 2. The salary of a Member of the Seimas and the procedure for payment thereof shall be established by the Seimas. The law concerning changes in the amount of salaries of Members of the Seimas shall become effective only from the day that the next newly-elected Seimas convenes for the first time. 3. For their work Members of the Seimas-officials and the leader of the Seimas Opposition shall be paid salaries the amount of which shall be established by law. 4. A Member of the Seimas may not receive any other payment, with the exception of payment for creative activities. Payments made to a Member of the Seimas for creative activities shall comprise royalties for the works of art and the performance thereof, for articles and books, for the material for radio and television programmes, provided that a Member of the Seimas is not related to the agency, enterprise or organisation paying him for creative activities by labour, official or similar relations which may be the cause of conflict of private and public interests. Article 151. Reduction in the Salary of a Member of the Seimas 1. For a Member of the Seimas who failed to attend without an important justifying reason more than half of the Seimas sittings in which voting on the adoption of legal acts was scheduled in advance and took place at the scheduled time, his salary of that month shall be reduced by one third. On the basis of the conclusions of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures, the salary shall be reduced on the decision of the Board of the Seimas. The sum by which the salary of that Member of the Seimas is reduced shall be deducted from his salary for the next month. 2. A decision of the Board of the Seimas concerning the reduction in the salary may be appealed against to the Seimas within 15 days of the taking of such decision. An appeal shall be filed with the Speaker of the Seimas. The Seimas shall pass a protocol resolution on the said appeal. 3. If a Member of the Seimas is placed under arrest in accordance with the procedure established by law, the salary and the funds for reimbursement of the expenses related to his parliamentary activities shall not be paid for the whole period of arrest. When a pre-trial investigation concerning the Member of the Seimas or criminal proceedings, in which the Member of the Seimas is the accused, are terminated because of the absence of a criminal offence or a criminal act, or failure to gather information sufficient to substantiate his guilt for committing of a criminal act, or an exculpatory court judgment is adopted in respect of the Member of the Seimas, he shall, not later than within 5 working days, be paid the whole amount of salary which he has not received because of the arrest during the term of office. 4. If by a court judgment a Member of the Seimas is sentenced to arrest, fixed term deprivation of liberty or life imprisonment, the salary of the Member of the Seimas and the funds for reimbursement of the expenses related to his parliamentary activities shall not be paid to him for the whole period of serving such sentence. Upon the revocation of the judgment, the Member of the Seimas shall, not later than within five working days, be paid the whole sum of salary which he has not received during the term of office when he was punished by arrest or deprivation of liberty.  Article 152. Use of Official Vehicles 1. The Speaker of Seimas, his deputies and the Leader of the Opposition shall be entitled, by virtue of their position, to use official vehicles with drivers. 2. The procedure for using official vehicles shall be laid down by the Board of the Seimas, on the recommendation of the Secretary General of the Seimas. Article 153.  Funds for Reimbursement of Expenses Related to Parliamentary Activities 1. The sum in the amount of one average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to the Speaker of the Seimas to cover representation expenses. The version of paragraph 1 valid as of 1 January 2014: 1. The sum in the amount of three average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to the Speaker of the Seimas to cover representation expenses. 2. The sum in the amount of half of the average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to the Deputy Speakers of the Seimas to cover representation expenses. The version of paragraph 2 valid as of 1 January 2014: 2. The sum in the amount of one average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to the Deputy Speakers of the Seimas to cover representation expenses. 3. The sum in the amount of one average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to Members of the Seimas to cover expenses related to their parliamentary activities. The version of paragraph 3 valid from 1 January 2014: 3. The sum in the amount of 1.7 average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to Members of the Seimas to cover expenses related to their parliamentary activities. 4. Local authorities shall, free of charge (a local authority shall pay for cold and hot water, electricity, gas, thermal energy and other public utilities), provide furnished premises with the telephone for a Member of the Seimas and his secretary assistant for continual use in the municipality (municipalities) located within the constituency chosen by a Member of the Seimas, for the duration of the powers of a Member of the Seimas – the space of the premises must be not less than 12 m2 and meet the sanitary and hygiene requirements. A Member of the Seimas shall himself pay his telephone bills. 5. The use of official telephones by the Seimas leaders, the leader of the Opposition, the chairs and deputy chairs of the committees, commissions, the chairs of the subcommittees, the chairs and deputy chairs of the political groups shall be compensated in the amount of 0.2 of the average monthly earnings. The version of paragraph 5 valid from 1 January 2013: 5. The use of official telephones by the Seimas leaders, the chairs of the Committee on European Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and their deputies, the leader of the Opposition, the chairs of the political groups and their deputies shall be compensated in the amount of 0.4 of the average monthly salary, the use of official telephones by the chairs of other committees and commissions and their deputies, the chairs of the subcommittees – in the amount of 0.2 of the average monthly salary. 6. A Member of the Seimas, with the exception of the Speaker of the Seimas, shall himself pay for telephone calls which exceed the fixed amount. The Finance Department of the Office of the Seimas shall have the right to deduct without suit from the next salary of the Member of the Seimas a sum by which the fixed amount is exceeded if the Member of the Seimas does not reimburse the expenses of his telephone calls within the set time limit. 7. A sum in the amount of 1 average monthly salary and an additional sum shall be allocated for a period of one year for activities of a political group, taking into consideration the size of the political group, so that each member of the political group shall be allocated the sum in the amount of 0.4 of the average monthly salary. If there are changes in the size of a political group, an additional sum allocated to it shall be revised every month. These funds shall be used to cover expenses related to legislation and expert examination, representation, postal, telephone and other work-related activities of the political group. 8. The Board of the Seimas shall lay down the procedure for allocating, using and accounting for funds of Members of the Seimas to cover expenses related to parliamentary activities. Article 154. Provision of Living Quarters for Members of the Seimas 1. For the term of office of a Member of the Seimas, he shall, at the decision of the Secretary General of the Seimas, be provided living quarters in the Seimas hotel for residing with his family members, if so requested by the Member of the Seimas. The first to be provided with living quarters shall be Members of the Seimas who do not have and within the last five years from the date of filing of an application did not have by the right of ownership the living quarters within the territory of the municipality of Vilnius city and not farther than within 25 kilometres from the administrative limits of the municipality of Vilnius city. 2.  Expenses related to residing in the Seimas hotel (for cold and hot water, electricity, gas, thermal energy and other public utilities) shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Board of the Seimas, be reimbursed to the Members of the Seimas, with the exception of the Members of the Seimas who have and, within the last five years of filing of an application, have had by the right of ownership the living quarters within the territory of the municipality of Vilnius city and not farther than within 25 kilometres from the administrative limits of the municipality of Vilnius city. The distance to a place of residence shall be determined by shortest public roads of national and local significance, according to the administrative limits of the municipality of Vilnius city, established on the day of filing of an application to provide living quarters. 3. Other Members of the Seimas living in the Seimas hotel shall pay for cold and hot water, electricity, gas, thermal energy and public utilities according to the fixed rates. 4. The Finance Department of the Office of the Seimas shall deduct without suit from the next salary of the Member of the Seimas the fees for these services, calculated but failed to be paid within the given time. 5. Upon the expiry of the powers of Member of the Seimas, a former Member of the Seimas and his family members who live with him must within 30 days move out of the occupied premises and to fully pay for their life in the Seimas hotel. Article 155. Guarantees after the Ceasing of the Powers of a Member of the Seimas 1. When the powers of Member of the Seimas cease in the cases provided for in subparagraphs 1 and 6 of Article 63 of the Constitution, a Member of the Seimas shall, in accordance with the procedure laid down by the Law on Civil Service, be entitled to return to the post previously occupied by him. 2. When the powers of Member of the Seimas cease in the cases provided for in subparagraphs 1 and 4 of Article 63 of the Constitution, he shall be paid a severance pay. He shall be paid a severance pay equal to the amount of as many average monthly salaries of Member of the Seimas as many years continuously lasted his term of office in the Seimas, but not less than two nor more than six average monthly salaries of Member of the Seimas. If the term of office of Member of the Seimas is less than one year, then a period of more than six months shall be regarded in this Article as a full year of the term of office. A severance pay shall not be paid, if a Member of the Seimas, whose powers expired in the case provided for in subparagraph 1 of Article 63 of the Constitution, is re-elected. 3. When the powers of Member of the Seimas cease in the case provided for in subparagraph 2 of Article 63 of the Constitution, a pay in the amount specified in paragraph 2 of this Article shall be paid to his family members. Article 156. Working Time and Rest Time of a Member of the Seimas Functioning of the Seimas shall be continuous. The Board of the Seimas shall fix working time of Member of the Seimas during Seimas sessions. A Member of the Seimas shall independently plan time between Seimas sessions, if he does not participate in meetings of the Seimas committees and commissions. Article 16. Secretaries Assistants of Members of the Seimas A Member of the Seimas shall be entitled to have secretaries assistants who shall be paid for their work from the State budget and assistants working on a voluntary basis. Secretaries assistants of the Members of the Seimas shall be employed and dismissed in accordance with the procedure laid down by law. Three positions of secretaries assistants of a Member of the Seimas shall be allotted to each Member of the Seimas. Salaries of secretaries assistants of the Members of the Seimas shall be regulated in accordance with the procedure laid down by legal acts. Article 161. Employees of Political Groups 1. Employees of the political groups shall be employed and dismissed in accordance with the procedure laid down by laws. 2. When fixing a number of employees of the political groups, the number of members of a political group shall be taken into consideration. At least one position of a reporter of the chair of a political group shall be assigned to each political group. Article 17. Liability for Preventing a Member of the Seimas from Exercising his Powers 1. Persons and officials who prevent a Member of the Seimas from exercising his powers, who encroach upon the life, health, honour, or dignity of a Member of the Seimas as a representative of the Nation, shall be held liable under law. 2. A disciplinary penalty may be imposed according to the procedure established by law on an official guilty for failure to carry out the legitimate demands of a Member of the Seimas; he may be removed from office. Chapter IV Discipline and Immunity of A Member of the Seimas. OBLIGATION OF A MEMBER OF THE SEIMAS TO AVOID THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST Article 18. Obligation of a Member of the Seimas to Avoid the Conflict of Interest 1. It shall be prohibited to use the mandate of a Member of the Seimas for purposes other than the interests of the Nation, State and voters. A Member of the Seimas must respect and act in compliance with the Constitution and laws. 2. While executing the duties of a Member of the Seimas, each Member of the Seimas must avoid the conflict between the private interests of a Member of the Seimas and his duties to represent the interests of the public, he must not also act in such a way, that the public would entertain doubts about the existence of such conflict. In the event of the conflict of interest, a Member of the Seimas must act in compliance with this Statute and recommendations of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures or the Chief Official Ethics Commission. A Member of the Seimas must do his utmost that his integrity should not raise doubts among the public and that the public be given a possibility to ascertain the integrity of the Member of the Seimas. 3. The Commission for Ethics and Procedures or an investigation commission set up for this purpose must analyse the activities of a Member of the Seimas which violate the said provisions, and prepare findings for the Seimas. 4. Every year each Member of the Seimas shall, according to the Law on the Alignment of Public and Private Interests in Civil Service, submit to the Commission for Ethics and Procedures an annual private interests declaration and declarations if new circumstances turn out. The said Commission shall keep private interests declarations of the candidates who have become Members of the Seimas. The declarations shall be kept in the Commission for the whole term of office of a Member of the Seimas, and later they shall be transferred to the Seimas Archives for keeping. 5. Having considered the private interests declarations of Members of the Seimas, the Commission for Ethics and Procedures shall submit to Members of the Seimas written recommendations how to avoid the conflict of interest, which Members of the Seimas may make public at their own discretion. The said recommendations may be general (annual) or specific. The latter shall usually be submitted at the request of a Member of the Seimas. 6. Before or during the consideration of an issue, a Member of the Seimas who has a private interest in the issue must inform the chair of a sitting about the danger of a conflict of interest and must stay away from further consideration and voting. 7. If a Member of the Seimas has not carried out the requirements of paragraph 6 of this Article and such behaviour of a Member of the Seimas is contrary to the recommendation of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures, which has been submitted to a Member of the Seimas in accordance with paragraph 5 of this Article, the Commission for Ethics and Procedures shall immediately inform the Seimas about it. In this event, the consideration of an issue may, upon the decision of the Seimas, be started anew. 8. If it appears that during the passage of a Seimas law, the provisions of this Article concerning the avoidance of the conflict of interest have been violated, the provisions set forth in Article 160 of this Statute may be applied. Article 19. Repealed Article 20. Warning to a Member of the Seimas 1. If during a sitting a Member of the Seimas begins to argue with Members of the Seimas or other participants of the sitting, does not carry out the recommendation of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures regarding the avoidance of the conflict of interest, the Member of the Seimas may be called to order by the chair of the sitting. 2. If the said Member of the Seimas does not heed the warning of the chair of the sitting, the warning may be recorded in the minutes of the sitting. Warnings to a Member of the Seimas for a public threat to colleagues, for an insult of a Member of the Seimas or a group thereof, for dishonest voting or for the refusal to carry out the recommendation of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures regarding the avoidance of the conflict of interest shall be immediately recorded in the minutes. 3. The warning which is recorded in the minutes of the sitting shall be administered on the recommendation of the chair of the Seimas sitting or the Commission for Ethics and Procedures, without debate and by a simple majority of the Members of the Seimas participating in the voting. 4. A Member of the Seimas to whom administration of such warning is proposed, shall have the right to explain himself to the Seimas for a maximum of 3 minutes prior to the voting. Article 21. Removal of a Member of the Seimas from a Sitting 1. The Seimas may temporarily exclude a Member of the Seimas from the Plenary Chamber until the end of the sitting of that day, if he: 1) continues, after being called to order, to interrupt the work of the Seimas or does not carry out the recommendations of the Commission for Ethics and Procedures regarding the avoidance of the conflict of interest; 2) during a sitting, calls for the use of the coercion or uses it personally; 3) publicly insults or threatens the President of the Republic, the Seimas, the Speaker of the Seimas, the Members of the Seimas, the Government, or the Prime Minister, or threatens them during a sitting; 4) disgraces the name of a Member of the Seimas with his actions. 2. Decisions concerning the exclusion of a Member of the Seimas from the Plenary Chamber shall be adopted without debate by a simple majority of the Members of the Seimas participating in the voting, on the recommendation of the chair of the sitting or the Commission for Ethics and Procedures. 3. If a Member of the Seimas who has been temporarily removed from a sitting refuses to heed the demand of the chair of the sitting to leave the Plenary Chamber, the sitting shall be temporarily interrupted and security officers shall escort the Member of the Seimas concerned from the Plenary Chamber. 4. The Member of the Seimas who is removed from Seimas sittings shall not receive a salary for the days when the Seimas sittings from which he is removed are held. Article 22. Immunity of a Member of the Seimas 1. The person of a Member of the Seimas shall be inviolable. 2. A Member of the Seimas may not be persecuted for his voting or speeches in the Seimas, i.e. at the Seimas sittings, Seimas committees, commissions and political groups, however, he may, for personal insult or slander, be held liable in accordance with the general procedure. 3. Criminal proceedings may not be instituted against a Member of the Seimas, he may not be arrested, and may not be subjected to any other restrictions of personal freedom without the consent of the Seimas, except in cases when he is caught in the act of committing a crime (in flagrante delicto). In such cases the Prosecutor General must immediately notify the Seimas thereof. Article 23. Waiver of the Immunity of a Member of the Seimas 1. Upon hearing the report of the Prosecutor General concerning prosecution, arrest or any other restriction of freedom of a Member of the Seimas, the Seimas sitting shall be adjourned for the period of not less than one hour and not more than two hours. After the adjournment the Seimas shall adopt one of the following decisions: 1) to form an investigation commission for the consent to prosecute, arrest or otherwise restrict the freedom of a Member of the Seimas or 2) to initiate preliminary actions of the impeachment proceedings; such decision shall be examined and adopted only in the event that the proposal of the subjects specified in paragraph 1 of Article 230 of this Statute exists. 2. If the Seimas decides to form an investigation commission for the consent to prosecute, arrest or otherwise restrict the freedom of a Member of the Seimas, then the commission shall be formed according to the procedure provided for in Article 71 of this Statute. When investigating the issue concerning the waiver of immunity of a Member of the Seimas, the commission must invite to a meeting of the commission the said Member of the Seimas whose issue is under consideration and hear him or other Member of the Seimas authorised by him, and a representative of the Prosecutor’s Office. If the invited Member of the Seimas or other Member of the Seimas authorised by him fails to come to the commission meeting without a valid reason or he refuses to provide explanations to the commission, the commission shall have the right to adopt a decision in the absence of the Member of the Seimas or other Member of the Seimas authorised by him. Valid reasons why the Member of the Seimas or other Member of the Seimas authorised by him does not come to the commission meeting shall be the reasons laid down in the Code of Criminal Procedure, prescribing compulsory appearance of the participants at the proceedings. 3. If the Seimas resolves to initiate preliminary actions of the impeachment proceedings, the said actions shall be carried out in accordance with the procedure established in Part VIII of this Statute. 4. If the Seimas has adopted a resolution regarding the consent to prosecute, arrest or otherwise restrict freedom of a Member of the Seimas, preliminary actions of the impeachment proceedings and the impeachment procedure may be initiated against the Member of the Seimas only upon resolving the issue of criminal liability, i.e. provided that a sentence has been pronounced or an acquittal has become effective, or the criminal proceedings have been terminated. 5. After the investigation commission has prepared and announced its note and the draft resolution, the issue concerning the waiver of immunity of the person of a Member of the Seimas shall be included on the agenda of the next Seimas sitting. 6. Consideration of this issue shall be limited to the interpretation, assessment or definition of the facts provided for in the motion and shall be set out in the resolution submitted. The discussion concerning draft resolutions shall be attended by the rapporteur of the commission, the Member of the Seimas concerned or another Member of the Seimas authorised by him, and no more than two Members of the Seimas who speak in favour and two Members of the Seimas who speak against the draft resolution. If the draft resolution approves the motion of the Prosecutor General, it may be adopted if more than half of the Members of the Seimas vote in favour of the draft. Upon the receipt of the consent of the Seimas to take criminal action against a Member of the Seimas, the said Member of the Seimas may not be arrested within the premises of the Seimas. PART II STRUCTURE OF THE SEIMAS Chapter V General Issues of Structure Article 24. Seimas Leaders 1. Seimas sittings shall be chaired by the Speaker of the Seimas or his deputy. 2. There shall not be more than seven Deputy Speakers of the Seimas. 3. The remit of the Speaker of the Seimas and his deputies shall be defined by the Constitution and this Statute. 4. On the recommendation of the Speaker of the Seimas, one of his deputies shall be appointed the first Deputy Speaker of the Seimas. 5. A Member of the Seimas who is elected Speaker of the Seimas or is temporarily acting as Speaker of the Seimas must suspend his activities in a political group of the Members of the Seimas. Article 25. Committees and Commissions of the Seimas 1. The Seimas shall form committees from among its members for the consideration of draft laws and other issues assigned to its remit by the Constitution. The list of the committees shall be established by this Statute. 2. The Commission for Ethics and Procedures, the Petitions Commission, the Commission for Parliamentary Scrutiny of Criminal Intelligence, and other standing commissions shall be formed in the Seimas. 3. In order to resolve short-term issues or issues of narrower scope, and for carrying out specific assignments, the Seimas may, from among its members, form investigation, control, auditing, preparatory, drafting and other ad hoc commissions. 4. The Board of the Seimas may also set up preparatory and drafting ad hoc commissions; the Conference of Chairs may also set up coordination commissions. 5. The work of the committees and commissions shall be directed by the respective chairs thereof. Article 26. Political Groups, a Group of Non-attached Members of the Seimas and Provisional Groups of Members of the Seimas 1. Members of the Seimas may form political groups according to the procedure established by this Statute for implementing their political goals. This Statute shall establish the rights of the political groups of the Members of the Seimas. 2. A political group of the Members of the Seimas shall be headed and represented in the Seimas by its Chair or Deputy Chair; each Member of the Seimas authorised by a political group may speak out on behalf of the political group. 3. The Members of the Seimas who have not been registered in political groups shall be considered as members of a group of the non-attached Members of the Seimas. The group of the non-attached Members of the Seimas shall be granted all of the rights of a political group provided for in this Statute. 4. The Members of the Seimas may form provisional groups in the procedure established by this Statute. Article 27. Board of the Seimas 1. The Board of the Seimas shall function in the Seimas, the principal task whereof shall be to settle organisational issues of the work of the Seimas and give advice to the Speaker of the Seimas, if he requests so. 2. The Board of the Seimas shall consist of the Speaker of the Seimas, his deputies and the Leader of the Opposition in the Seimas. The composition of the Board of the Seimas shall be approved by the resolution of the Seimas. Article 28. Conference of Chairs 1. The Seimas shall have a Conference of Chairs comprising the members of the Board of the Seimas and the representatives of the political groups. 2. Each political group shall appoint one representative for every ten members of the group to the Conference of Chairs. 3. In addition, each political group shall appoint to the Conference of Chairs one representative for the remaining segment of fewer than ten members of the political group, provided that the said segment of fewer than ten members shall comprise more than five Members of the Seimas. 4. Political groups consisting of fewer than ten members shall each appoint one representative to the Conference of Chairs. 5. The principal task of the Conference of Chairs shall be to consider and approve work programmes of the Seimas session and agendas of sittings, to coordinate issues concerning the organisation of the work of the committees and political groups of the Seimas, and to submit drafts of the decisions on said issues to the Seimas and the Board, and give advice to the Speaker of the Seimas. Chapter VI SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS, Deputy SPEAKERS OF THE SEIMAS and Board OF THE SEIMAS Article 29. Powers of the Speaker of the Seimas The Speaker of the Seimas shall: 1) direct the work of the Seimas and represent the Seimas; 2) within ten days of the adoption of a law by the Seimas, certify with his signature the authenticity of the text and refer it to the President of the Republic to sign;, within ten days sign the Statute of the Seimas and amendments thereto; within three days sign the laws which have not been signed by the President of the Republic and not been returned to the Seimas for repeat consideration within ten days of the submission thereof, and proclaim them; 3) within ten days of the adoption, sign the resolutions of the Seimas and other acts passed by the Seimas; 4) within 24 hours sign the minutes of Seimas sittings and the decisions of the Board of the Seimas, provided he has chaired them; 5) temporarily act as President of the Republic or temporarily deputise for President of the Republic in the cases specified in Article 89 of the Constitution; 6) have the right to convene an extraordinary Seimas sitting or an extraordinary session in the cases laid down in paragraph 1 of Article 89 of the Constitution; 7) propose to the Seimas candidates for the posts of Deputy Speakers of the Seimas; 8) propose to the Seimas candidatures to Constitutional Court judges in accordance with the procedure established by the Constitution; 9) propose to the Seimas the candidatures of the Seimas ombudsmen and the head of the Seimas Ombudsmen’s Office for appointment and dismissal; 10) propose candidatures to the Seimas for appointment and dismissal to the posts of heads and deputy heads of state institutions in the cases provided by the Constitution and laws; 11) chair Seimas sittings and the Board of the Seimas or charge one of his Deputies to carry out this function; 12) submit drafts of the work programmes of a session and draft agendas of week- or day-long sittings to the Conference of Chairs or charge one of his Deputies to carry out this function; 13) submit draft agendas of meetings of the Board of the Seimas or charge one of his Deputies to carry out this function; and 14) exercise other powers provided for in this Statute. 2. While exercising his powers, the Speaker of the Seimas shall issue directives. 3. The Speaker of the Seimas and, in his absence, his Deputy may, provided he does not chair a sitting, voice his own opinion out of turn or the opinion of the Board of the Seimas on any issue under consideration at the Seimas sittings. 4. During a session of the Seimas, the Speaker of the Seimas, his Deputies shall, at least once a month, answer the questions concerning their activities, which are beforehand submitted in writing by the Members of the Seimas. Article 291. Temporary Acting for the President of the Republic 1. The Speaker of the Seimas shall temporarily act for the President of the Republic in the following cases, specified in paragraph 1 of Article 89 of the Constitution: 1) when the President of the Republic dies; 2) when the President of the Republic resigns; 3) when the Seimas removes the President of the Republic from office according to impeachment proceedings; 4) when the Seimas resolves that the President of the Republic is unable to discharge his duties due to the state of health. 2. When temporarily acting for the President of the Republic, the Speaker of the Seimas shall, for that period of time, lose his powers in the Seimas; all powers of the President of the Republic shall be temporarily passed over to the Speaker of the Seimas. The Speaker of the Seimas shall act for the President of the Republic until a newly elected President of the Republic takes the oath in the manner prescribed by law. The Seimas shall appoint one of the Deputy Speakers of the Seimas to temporarily act for the Speaker of the Seimas during that period of time. 3. When the Seimas receives a transcript of the entry of the act of civil status, issued in the manner prescribed by law, attesting the death of the President of the Republic, or a decree of the President of the Republic on the resignation of the President of the Republic enters into force, an extraordinary sitting of the Seimas shall be immediately convened during the session, or an extraordinary session shall be convened during the period between the sessions, for the adoption of a Seimas resolution specified in paragraph 7 of this Article. 4. Upon receiving a conclusion of the medical commission, approved in accordance with the procedure established in Article 29(3) of this Statute, regarding the state of health of the President of the Republic, the Seimas may appeal to the Constitutional Court with the resolution adopted by a majority vote of more than half of all the Members of the Seimas, requesting to present a conclusion whether, according to the state of his health, the President of the Republic is able to discharge his duties. 5. Upon receiving a conclusion of the Constitutional Court specified in paragraph 4 of this Article, the Seimas shall consider it at a regular or extraordinary Seimas sitting during the session, or at an extraordinary session during the period between the sessions. Having resolved by a 3/5 majority vote of all the Members of the Seimas that the President of the Republic is unable to discharge his duties due to the state of health, the Seimas shall adopt a resolution specified in paragraph 7 of this Article. 6. Following the adoption of the resolution on the removal of the President of the Republic from office according to impeachment proceedings, the Seimas shall adopt a resolution specified in paragraph 7 of this Article at the same or an extraordinary sitting. 7. In the cases established in this Article, the resolution adopted by the Seimas shall indicate the circumstances on which the Seimas resolution is based, the appointment of the Speaker of the Seimas to temporarily act for the President of the Republic, and the appointment of a Deputy Speaker of the Seimas to temporarily act for the Speaker of the Seimas. The Seimas resolution shall enter into force from the date of its adoption. It shall be published in the official gazette Valstybės žinios in the manner prescribed by law; it shall also be broadcast on the Lithuanian national radio and television on the date of its adoption and though other means of the mass media. Article 292. Temporary Deputising for the President of the Republic 1. The Speaker of the Seimas shall temporarily deputise for the President of the Republic in the following cases, specified in paragraph 2 of Article 89 of the Constitution:  1) when the President of the Republic is temporarily abroad and therefore unable to discharge the duties of his office; 2) when the President of the Republic has fallen ill and by reason thereof is temporarily unable to discharge the duties of his office. 2. The Speaker of the Seimas shall temporarily deputise for the President of the Republic after the entry into force of a decree of the President of the Republic whereby the Speaker of the Seimas is appointed to temporarily deputise for the President of the Republic due to the latter’s temporary absence beyond the boundaries of the country or his illness. 3. In the cases referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article the Seimas shall adopt a resolution regarding the temporary deputising for the President of the Republic. No discussions shall be held at a Seimas sitting on the issue of the necessity to adopt a Seimas resolution. A Seimas resolution shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. 4. In the cases referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article, the Speaker of the Seimas shall retain the powers of the Speaker of the Seimas. 5. When the circumstances specified in paragraph 1 of this Article are no longer present, the Speaker of the Seimas shall cease to deputise for the President of the Republic. Article 293. Setting up a Commission of Doctors 1. When solving an issue whether the President of the Republic is able to carry out the duties of his office due to the state of health, the Seimas, shall, be its resolution, approve a commission of doctors consisting of at least five members, which shall present to the Seimas the conclusions regarding the state of health of the President of the Republic. Candidatures of Commission members shall be nominated to the Seimas by the Seimas Board. 2. The Commission indicated in paragraph 1 of this Article must be approved not later than within 24 hours and its conclusions must be presented to the Seimas within the shortest possible period of time. Article 30. Powers of the Deputy Speakers of the Seimas 1. The Deputy Speakers of the Seimas shall carry out the functions assigned to them by the Speaker of the Seimas. 2. The Deputy Speakers of the Seimas shall within 24 hours sign the minutes of Seimas sittings and the decision of the Board of the Seimas, provided they have chaired those sittings upon the Speaker’s of the Seimas charge. 3. In the event that the Speaker of the Seimas is temporarily away or has been taken ill and is unable because of that to execute his duties, the first Deputy Speaker of the Seimas or another Deputy Speaker of the Seimas, at the behest of the Seimas, shall deputise for him during such period. 4. In the cases specified in Article 291 of this Statute, the Deputy Speaker of the Seimas whom the Seimas appointed to temporarily act as Speaker of the Seimas shall carry out such duties until the Speaker of the Seimas will start again to execute his duties. 5. The resolution (preliminary or adopted for a concrete case) concerning the temporary performance of the duties of the Speaker of the Seimas or deputising for him shall be adopted by the Seimas on the motion of the Speaker of the Seimas. Article 31. Secretary General of the Seimas 1. The Secretary General of the Seimas shall be a civil servant - head of the institution who shall be responsible and accountable to the Seimas and the Board of the Seimas. 2. The Secretary General of the Seimas shall be the head of the Office of the Seimas. The Secretary General of the Seimas shall, in the manner prescribed by law, be appointed to office for the period of five years and dismissed from office by the Seimas on the recommendation of the Speaker of the Seimas. 3. A Member of the Seimas may not be Secretary General of the Seimas. 4. The position of Secretary General of the Seimas shall be incompatible with participation in the activities of political parties or political organisations. 5. The Secretary General of the Seimas shall: 1) supervise the drafting of documents of the Seimas and the Board of the Seimas; 2) supervise the consideration of issues, inquiries and interpellations submitted to the Government members and heads of other state institutions and furnish related information to Members of the Seimas; 3) consider the issues raised by the Members of the Seimas concerning the functioning of the Office of the Seimas; ensure the implementation of the decisions of the Board of the Seimas; 4) ensure the preparation of a draft work programme of a session, draft agendas for week- and day-long sittings, draft agendas of the Conference of Chairs and the material related to all the issues subject to consideration which are prepared by the Speaker of the Seimas and his Deputies; 5) endorse official documents prior to their being submitted to the Speaker of the Seimas for signature and, within his remit, sign official documents; 6) be responsible for the use and keeping of the Seimas Seals bearing the State Emblem; 7) regularly submit to the Seimas summarised data concerning proposals, wishes and letters addressed by voters to the Seimas; 8) together with the representatives of the political groups, arrange the seats in the Plenary Chamber for the members of the political groups and for those Members of the Seimas who do not belong to any political group and allocate premises for meetings of the political groups; 9) in the manner prescribed by law, appoint to office and dismiss civil servants of the Office of the Seimas; 10) approve regulations, rules of procedure, employees’ job descriptions and instructions for clerical work of the divisions of the Office of the Seimas; 11) carry out the functions of the manager of budget appropriations for the Office of the Seimas; 12) carry out other functions laid down in this Statute and the Regulations of the Office of the Seimas. Article 32. Powers of the Board of the Seimas The Board of the Seimas shall: 1) approve and submit to the Ministry of Finance draft estimates of programmes and expenditures of the Office of the Seimas; 2) on the advice of the committees, consider and send the Members of the Seimas on business trips with written tasks of the Seimas, the Board, and committees; approve reports on such trips; 3) by the advice of the committees or political groups, consider and approve trips of the Members of the Seimas during a session which are not financed from the funds of the Seimas; 4) when necessary, consider draft work programmes of a Seimas session and draft agendas …