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 16 November 2010 — No XI-1131) PART I STATUS OF A SEIMAS MEMBER Chapter I Powers and the Oath of a Seimas Member Article 1. Mandate of a the Seimas Member 1. The main rights and duties of a member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as a Seimas Member) shall be defined by the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the Constitution) and this Statute, and his other rights and duties - by other laws of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as laws) as well. 2. In performing his duties, a Seimas Member shall act in compliance with the Constitution, interests of the State, his own conscience, and may not be restricted by any mandate. Article 2. Beginning of the Powers and Acquisition of the Rights of a Seimas Member 1. The powers of Seimas Members shall begin on the day that the newly elected Seimas convenes for the first time. The powers of the previously elected Seimas Members shall expire upon the commencement of the said sitting. 2. A Seimas Member elect shall acquire all of the rights of a representative of the Nation only upon taking the oath at a Seimas sitting to be loyal to the Republic of Lithuania. A Seimas Member who has not taken the oath shall not have the rights established in Chapter 2 of this Statute, shall not make use of the essentials provided for his activities, as well as guarantees of his activities specified in Chapter 3 of this Statute, and shall not receive the salary of a Seimas Member. Article 3. Text of the Oath of a Seimas Member 1. The text of the oath of a Seimas Member shall read as follows: “I (forename, surname) swear to be faithful to the Republic of Lithuania; swear to respect and observe its Constitution and laws, and to protect the integrity of its territory; swear to the best of my ability to strengthen 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 Seimas Member 1. The oath of a Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member 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. Upon having read the oath, a Seimas Member 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. The Seimas Member who does not comply with this provision, who refuses to sign the nominal oath sheet or who 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 Seimas Members who have acquired all of the rights of a representative of the nation. 6. A Seimas Member must take the oath anew, if, upon termination of his powers, he has again become a Seimas Member pursuant to the Constitution and laws. 7. A Seimas Member must take the oath at the first sitting of a newly elected Seimas. A Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member who is elected later, shall take the oath at the next Seimas sitting following his election. Article 5. Consequences in the Event to Take the Oath of Failure by a Seimas Member The Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member under Article 59 of the Constitution. The Seimas shall adopt a resolution thereon. Article 6. Compatibility of the Duties of a Seimas Member 1. The duties of a Seimas Member, with the exception of his duties in the Seimas, shall be incompatible with any other duties in State agencies and organisations, as well as with any job in business, commercial and other private agencies or enterprises. 2. For his term of office, a Seimas Member shall be exempt from the duty to perform national defence service. 3. A Seimas Member may be appointed only as Prime Minister or Minister. Article 7. Certificate and Badge of a Seimas Member 1. A Seimas Member shall have a certificate of a Seimas Member and a badge of a Seimas Member which shall be used by him during his term of office. 2. The certificate shall be presented to a Seimas Member after the proclamation of election results, and the badge - after taking the oath. 3. A sample of the badge of a Seimas Member shall be approved by the Board of the Seimas. Article 8. Termination of the Powers of a Seimas Member The powers of a Seimas Member shall be terminated: 1) upon the expiration 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 his notice; 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 elected a municipal councillor he does not relinquish his mandate of municipal councillor, takes a job or does not resign from the job which is incompatible with the requirements of Article 6 of this Statute; or 8) if he is deprived of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania. Chapter II Activities of A Seimas Member Article 9. Rights of a Seimas Member A Seimas Member shall, in the manner prescribed by this Statute, have the right to: 1) vote on all issues being considered at sittings of the Seimas, 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 officer presiding over a sitting for the inclusion in the verbatim record 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, as well as to put motions relative to the laws which are to be debated in the Seimas; 7) pose questions to reporters and supplementary reporters during the Seimas sittings; 8) make statements and remarks, speak on voting motives, put motions relative to the conduct, procedure of a sitting; 9) obtain, directly or through an assistant, copies of the registered drafts of laws, as well as 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 Assembly of Elders, 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, as well as, upon advance notice, other sittings at which the issues he is interested in 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 Seimas Members: a) submit a draft law on the amendment of the Constitution, b) initiate impeachment, c) start non-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 Seimas Member in Work of the Seimas 1. A Seimas Member must participate in Seimas sittings. 2. Each Seimas Member, with the exception of the Speaker of the Seimas and the Prime Minister, must serve as a member of some committee and must participate in the work thereof, and he may also serve as a substitute for a member of another committee. 3. Each Seimas Member 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 Seimas member must participate in meetings of the Board of the Seimas, the Assembly of Elders, the Seimas committees, commissions and subcommittees a member of which he is. 6. A Seimas member must participate in meetings of the Commission on Ethics and Procedures upon a written invitation of the Commission Chairman. If a Seimas member is unable to participate in that meeting, he must inform in writing the Chairman of this Commission and specify the reasons for failure to participate. The Commission on Ethics and Procedures may consider violations of ethics by a Seimas member, matters relating to adjustment of private and public interests even without the attendance of the invited Seimas member, 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 Seimas Members at Sittings and Their Business Trips Abroad 1. It shall be deemed that a Seimas member has attended a Seimas sitting, if he registered at more than half of votings on adoption of a legal act, which had been scheduled in advance and held at the scheduled time, as well as registered in all Seimas sittings of that day. It shall be deemed that a Seimas member 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 Seimas member 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 the Seimas sittings, the committee or commission chairman, specifying the reasons of non-attendance. 3. Important, justifiable reasons for non-attendance at Seimas sittings as well as at Seimas committee or commission meetings shall include Seimas member’s temporary working incapacity, business trip, child-rearing leave or other important circumstances, as well as non-attendance at sittings or meetings with the approval of the Board of the Seimas. If a Seimas member 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 the Seimas sittings shall record notifications of the Seimas members concerning non-attendance at Seimas sittings, and the secretariats of the Seimas committees and commissions - about non-attendance of the Seimas members at meetings of the committees and commissions. Such information together with the documents justifiable the non-attendance of a sitting or meeting and the conclusions of the chairmen of the committees or commissions must be furnished to the Commission on Ethics and Procedures before the 10th of the next month. 5. The Commission on Ethics and Procedures shall decide whether or not the reasons for non-attendance at a Seimas meeting are important and justifiable, the chairmen 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 on Ethics and Procedures, taking into account the conclusions of the chairmen of the appropriate committees and commissions and the explanations of a Seimas member. 6. The Chairman of the Commission on Ethics and Procedures shall announce the preceding month’s data on the non-attendance of Seimas members 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 on a business trip to participate in the same event not less than two Seimas members, these Seimas members shall compose a group and the Board of the Seimas shall appoint a leader of the group. 8. A Seimas member who has been sent on a business trip alone or who alone has gone on a foreign travel, to which the Board of the Seimas gave its consent, or a leader of a group of the Seimas members, upon the return from the business trip abroad or a foreign travel, to which the Board of the Seimas gave its consent, must, not later than within 10 days, 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 Seimas member on a business trip as a member of the delegation accompanying the President of the Republic of Lithuania or the delegation lead by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania, in such cases a Seimas member 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 Seimas member 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, as well as to the Seimas members holding the office of the Prime Minister or a Minister. Article 12. Work of a Seimas Member with Voters 1. A Seimas Member must regularly hold meetings with voters and inform them about his activities. He shall have the right to invite officials of State and municipal institutions and agencies, officials of local authorities, as well as municipal councillors to participate in the meetings. 2. A Seimas Member 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 competence 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 Seimas Member is addressed or to whom proposals, requests and complaints of voters have been referred by a Seimas Member, must consider them and reply to a Seimas Member not later than within 20 days of the receipt thereof. Chapter III PROVISION OF conditions and Guarantees necessary for the activities of A Seimas Member Article 13.   Duties of Local Authorities to Provide Conditions for the Activities of Seimas Members 1. Local authorities and their executive bodies, as well as heads of State enterprises, agencies and organisations, must provide a Seimas Member with conditions enabling him to meet with voters, must announce of the time and place of such meetings, and must provide him with other necessary assistance and information. 2. Local authorities must allot and maintain permanent premises for Seimas Members elected in a single-candidate electoral areas to receive voters. 3. Local authorities must allot properly arranged premises for Seimas Members elected in multi-candidate electoral areas to receive voters and hold meetings. Article 14. Visits of Seimas Members to Enterprises, Agencies and Organisations 1. A Seimas Member shall have the right to demand to be received without delay at enterprises, agencies and organisations concerning issues which pertain to his activities, as well as the right to be provided with necessary information. 2. A Seimas Member shall have the right to unrestricted access of all enterprises, agencies and organisations. The visitation procedure for enterprises, agencies and organisations whose activities are associated with the protection of State secrets, as well as the procedure for the protection of the information considered a State secret, which has been acquired by a Seimas Member, shall be established by laws. Article 15. Salary of a Seimas Member 1. Compensation for the work of a Seimas Member, as well as the expenses related to his parliamentary activities, shall be covered from the State Budget. 2. The salary of a Seimas Member and the procedure for payment thereof shall be established by the Seimas. The law concerning changes in the amount of salaries of Seimas Members shall become effective only from the day that the next newly-elected Seimas convenes for the first time. 3. For their work Seimas Members-officials and the leader of the Seimas Opposition shall be paid salaries the amount of which shall be established by law. 4. A Seimas Member may not receive any other payment, with the exception of payment for creative activities. Payments made to a Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member 1. For a Seimas member 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 on 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 Seimas member is reduced, shall be deducted from his salary for the next month. 2. The 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 Seimas member 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 Seimas member or criminal proceedings, in which the Seimas member 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 judgement is adopted in respect of the Seimas member, 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 judgement a Seimas member is sentenced to arrest, fixed term deprivation of liberty or life imprisonment, the salary of the Seimas member 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 judgement, the Seimas member shall, not later than within 5 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 The version of paragraph 1 valid until 31 December 2011: 1. The sum in the amount of 1 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 from 1 January 2012: 1. The sum in the amount of 3 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 2 valid until 31 December 2011: 2. The sum in the amount of 0.5 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 from 1 January 2012: 2. The sum in the amount of 1 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 3 until 31 December 2011: 3. The sum in the amount of 1 average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to Seimas members to cover expenses related to their parliamentary activities. The version of paragraph 3 valid from 1 January 2012: 3. The sum in the amount of 1.7 average monthly earnings shall be each month allocated subject to accounting to Seimas members 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 Seimas member and his assistant secretary for continual use in the municipality (municipalities) located within the constituency of Seimas member’s choice, for the duration of Seimas member’s powers – the space of the premises must be not less than 12 m2 and meet the sanitary and hygiene requirements. A Seimas member shall himself pay his telephone bills. The version of paragraph 5 valid until 31 December 2011: 5. The use of official telephones by the leadership of the Seimas, the leader of the Opposition, the chairmen and deputy chairmen of the committees, commissions, the chairmen of the subcommittees, the elders and deputy elders of the parliamentary groups shall be compensated in the amount of 0.2 of the average monthly earnings. The version of paragraph 5 valid from 1 January 2012: 5. The use of official telephones by the leadership of the Seimas, the chairmen of the Committee on European Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Affairs and their deputies, the leader of the Opposition, the elders of the parliamentary 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 chairmen of other committees and commissions and their deputies, the chairmen of the subcommittees – in the amount of 0.2 of the average monthly salary. 6. A Seimas member, 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 Seimas member a sum by which the fixed amount is exceeded, if the Seimas member 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 parliamentary group, taking into consideration the size of the parliamentary group, so that each member of the parliamentary 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 parliamentary 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 parliamentary group. 8. The Board of the Seimas shall lay down the procedure for allocating, using and accounting for funds of Seimas members to cover expenses related to parliamentary activities. Article 154. Provision of Living Quarters for Seimas Members 1. For the term of office of a Seimas member, 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 Seimas member. The first to be provided with living quarters shall be Seimas members 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 Seimas members, with the exception of the Seimas members 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 Seimas members 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 Seimas member the fees for these services, calculated but failed to be paid within the given time. 5. Upon the ceasing of the powers of Seimas member, a former Seimas member 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 Seimas Member’s Powers 1. When the powers of Seimas member cease in the cases provided for in subparagraphs 1 and 6 of Article 63 of the Constitution, a Seimas member 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 Seimas member 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 Seimas member as many years continuously lasted his term of office in the Seimas, but not less than 2 nor more that 6 average monthly salaries of Seimas member. If the term of office of Seimas member is less than one year, then a period of more than 6 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 Seimas member, whose powers ceased in the case provided for in subparagraph 1 of Article 63 of the Constitution, is re-elected. 3. When the powers of Seimas member 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. Seimas Member’s Working Time and Rest Time Functioning of the Seimas shall be continuous. The Board of the Seimas shall fix working time of Seimas member during Seimas sessions. A Seimas member 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 Seimas Members A Seimas Member shall be entitled to have secretaries-assistants who shall be paid for their work from the State budget, as well as assistants working on a voluntary basis. Secretaries-assistants of the Seimas members shall be employed and dismissed in accordance with the procedure laid down by law. Each Seimas member may have not more than three Seimas member’s secretaries-assistants. Salaries of secretaries-assistants of the Seimas members shall be regulated in accordance with the procedure laid down by legal acts. Article 161. Employees of Parliamentary Groups 1. Employees of the parliamentary groups shall be employed and dismissed in accordance with the procedure laid down by laws. 2. When fixing a number of employees of the parliamentary groups, the number of members of a parliamentary group shall be taken into consideration. At least one position of a reporter of the elder of a parliamentary group shall be assigned to each parliamentary group. Article 17. Liability for Preventing a Seimas Member from Exercising his Powers 1. Persons and officials who prevent a Seimas Member from exercising his powers, who encroach upon the life, health, honour, or dignity of a Seimas Member as a representative of the Nation, shall be held liable under law. 2. If the legitimate demands of a Seimas Member are not carried out, a disciplinary penalty may, according to the procedure established by laws, be imposed on the offending official who is responsible, he may be removed from office. Chapter IV Discipline and Immunity of A Seimas Member. OBLIGATION OF A SEIMAS MEMBER TO AVOID THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST Article 18. Obligation of a Seimas Member to Avoid the Conflict of Interest 1. It shall be prohibited to use the mandate of a Seimas Member for purposes other than the interests of the Nation, State and voters. A Seimas Member must respect and act in compliance with the Constitution and laws. 2. While executing the duties of a Seimas Member, each Seimas Member must avoid the conflict between the private interests of a Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member must act in compliance with this Statute and recommendations of the Commission on Ethics and Procedures or the Chief Official Ethics Commission. A Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member. 3. The Commission on Ethics and Procedures or an investigation commission set up for this purpose must analyse the activities of a Seimas Member which violate the said provisions, and prepare findings for the Seimas. 4. Every year each Seimas Member shall, according to the Law on the Adjustment of Public and Private Interests in Civil Service, submit to the Commission on Ethics and Procedures an annual private interests declaration, as well as a declaration if new circumstances turn out. The said Commission shall keep private interests declarations of the candidates who have become Seimas Members. The declarations shall be kept in the Commission for the whole term of office of a Seimas Member, and later they shall be transferred to the Seimas Archives for keeping. 5. Upon having considered the private interests declarations of Seimas Members, the Commission on Ethics and Procedures shall submit to Seimas Members written recommendations how to avoid the conflict of interest, which Seimas Members may make public at their own discretion. The said recommendations may be general - annual or intended to handle a specific situation. The latter generally shall be submitted at the request of a Seimas Member. 6. Before the consideration of an issue or during the consideration, a Seimas Member who has a private interest in such an issue, must inform the presiding officer of a sitting about a threat of the conflict of interest and must stay away from further consideration and voting. 7. If a Seimas Member has not carried out the requirements of paragraph 6 of this Article and such behaviour of a Seimas Member is contrary to the recommendation of the Commission on Ethics and Procedures, which has been submitted to a Seimas Member in accordance with paragraph 5 of this Article, the Commission on 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 Seimas Member 1. If during a sitting a Seimas Member begins to argue with Seimas Members or other participants of the sitting, does not carry out the recommendation of the Commission on Ethics and Procedures regarding the avoidance of the conflict of interest, the Seimas Member may be called to order by the presiding officer of the sitting. 2. If the said Seimas Member does not heed the warning of the presiding officer of the sitting, the warning may be recorded in the minutes of the sitting. Warnings to a Seimas Member for a public threat to colleagues, for an insult of a Seimas Member or a group thereof, for dishonest voting or for the refusal to carry out the recommendation of the Commission on 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 presiding officer of the Seimas sitting or the Commission on Ethics and Procedures, without debate and by a simple majority of the Seimas Members participating in the voting. 4. A Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member from a Sitting 1. The Seimas may temporarily remove a Seimas Member from the 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 on 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 Seimas Members, the Government, or the Prime Minister, or threatens them during a sitting; 4) disgraces the name of a Seimas Member with his actions. 2. Decisions concerning the removal of a Seimas Member from the chamber shall be adopted without debate by a simple majority of the Seimas Members participating in the voting, on the recommendation of the presiding officer of the sitting or the Commission on Ethics and Procedures. 3. If a Seimas Member who has been temporarily removed from the sitting, refuses to heed the demand of the presiding officer of the sitting to leave the chamber, the sitting shall be temporarily interrupted and security officers shall escort the punished Seimas Member from the chamber. 4. The Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member 1. The person of a Seimas Member shall be inviolable. 2. A Seimas Member may not be persecuted for his voting or speeches in the Seimas, i.e. at the sittings of the Seimas, Seimas committees, commissions and parliamentary 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 Seimas Member, 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. Deprivation of the Inviolability of a Seimas Member 1. After the hearing of the report of the Prosecutor General concerning prosecution, arrest or any other restriction of freedom of a Seimas Member, 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 Seimas Member; 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 Seimas Member, then the commission shall be formed according to the procedure provided for in Article 71 of this Statute. When investigating the issue concerning the deprivation of the inviolability of a Seimas Member, the commission must invite to a meeting of the commission the said Seimas Member whose issue is under consideration and hear him or other Seimas Member authorised by him, and a representative of the Prosecutor’s Office. If the invited Seimas Member or other Seimas Member 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 Seimas Member or other Seimas Member authorised by him. Valid reasons because of which the Seimas Member or other Seimas Member authorised by him does not come to the commission meeting shall be the reasons laid down in the norms of the Code of Criminal Procedure, prescribing compulsory appearance of the participants of 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 the resolution regarding the consent to prosecute, arrest or otherwise restrict freedom of a Seimas Member, preliminary actions of the impeachment proceedings and the impeachment procedure may be initiated against a Seimas Member only upon having resolved the issue of criminal liability, i.e. provided that a conviction has been passed or an acquittal has become effective, or criminal proceedings have been terminated. 5. After the investigation commission has prepared and announced its note and the draft resolution, the issue concerning the deprivation of the inviolability of the person of a Seimas Member shall be included on the agenda of the next Seimas sitting. 6. Consideration of this issue, as well as in the submitted resolution, shall be limited only to the interpretation, assessment or definition of the facts provided for in the motion. The discussion concerning draft resolutions shall be attended by the reporter of the commission, the concerned Seimas Member or another Seimas Member authorised by him, and no more than two Seimas Members who speak out “in favour” and two members who speak out “against” the draft resolution. If the draft resolution provides for the satisfaction of the motion of the Prosecutor General, it may be adopted if more than half of the Seimas Members vote in favour of the draft. Upon the receipt of the consent of the Seimas to take criminal action against a Seimas Member, said Seimas Member may not be arrested within the house of the Seimas. PART II STRUCTURE OF THE SEIMAS Chapter V General Issues of Structure Article 24. Heads of the Seimas 1. Sittings of the Seimas shall be presided over by the Speaker of the Seimas or his deputy. 2. There shall not be more than six Deputy Speakers of the Seimas. 3. The competence 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. The Seimas Member who is elected Speaker of the Seimas or temporarily acting as Speaker of the Seimas must suspend his activities in a parliamentary group of the Seimas Members. 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 competence by the Constitution. The list of the committees shall be established by this Statute. 2. The Commission on Ethics and Procedures, the Petitions Commission, the Commission for Parliamentary Scrutiny of Intelligence Operations, and other standing commissions shall be formed in the Seimas. 3. For resolving short-term issues or issues of narrower scope, and for carrying out concrete 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 form preparatory, drafting ad hoc commissions, and the Assembly of Elders - co-ordination commissions. 5. The work of the committees and commissions shall be directed by the respective chairmen thereof. Article 26. Parliamentary Groups, Mixed and Interim Groups of the Seimas Members 1. Seimas Members may form parliamentary groups according to the procedure established by this Statute for implementing their political goals. This Statute shall establish the rights of the parliamentary groups of the Seimas members. 2. A parliamentary group of the Seimas Members shall be headed and represented in the Seimas by its Elder or Deputy Elder; each Seimas Member authorised by a parliamentary group may speak out on behalf of the parliamentary group. 3. The Seimas Members who have not been registered in parliamentary groups shall be considered as members of one mixed group of the Seimas Members. The mixed group of the Seimas Members shall be granted all of the rights of a parliamentary group provided for in this Statute. 4. The Seimas Members may form interim 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 principle 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. Assembly of Elders 1. The Seimas shall have an Assembly of Elders comprising the members of the Board of the Seimas and the representatives of the parliamentary groups. 2. Each parliamentary group shall appoint one representative for every ten members of the group to the Assembly of Elders. 3. In addition, each parliamentary group shall appoint to the Assembly of Elders one representative for the remaining segment of fewer than ten members of the parliamentary group, provided that the said segment of fewer than ten members shall comprise more than five Seimas Members. 4. Parliamentary groups consisting of fewer than ten members shall each appoint one representative to the Assembly of Elders. 5. The principal task of the Assembly of Elders shall be to consider and approve work programmes of the Seimas session and agendas of sittings, to co-ordinate issues concerning the organisation of the work of the committees and parliamentary 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 10 days following the passage, certify with his signature the authenticity of the text of the law passed by the Seimas and refer it to the President of the Republic to sign, within 10 days sign the Statute of the Seimas and amendments thereto, within 3 days sign the laws which are not signed by the President of the Republic and not returned to the Seimas for repeat consideration within 10 days from the submission thereof, as well as proclaim them; 3) within 10 days from the passage, sign the resolutions of the Seimas and other acts passed by the Seimas; 4) within 24 hours sign the minutes of Seimas sittings, as well as the decisions of the Board of the Seimas, provided he has presided over 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 candidatures to the posts of Deputy Speakersof 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) preside over the sittings of the Seimas 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 Assembly of Elders 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 is not presiding over a sitting, voice out of turn his own opinion 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 Seimas Members. 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 Speakersof 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 the receipt of the 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 Seimas members, 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 the receipt of the conclusion of the Constitutional Court, specified in paragraph 4 of this Article, the Seimas shall consider it at a plenary or extraordinary Seimas sitting during the session, or at an extraordinary session during the period between the sessions. Upon having resolved by a 3/5 majority vote of all the Seimas members 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 Valstybės žinios (the Official Gazette) in the manner prescribed by law; it shall also be broadcast on the Lithuanian national radio and television on the date of its adoption, as well as 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 absent beyond the boundaries of the country and by reason thereof is temporarily 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 have 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 5 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, as well as the decision of the Board of the Seimas, provided they have presided over 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 5 years, and dismissed from office by the Seimas on the recommendation of the Speaker of the Seimas. 3. A Seimas member 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 Seimas Members; 3) consider the issues raised by the Seimas Members 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 Assembly of Elders 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 signing and, within the limits of his competence, 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 parliamentary groups, arrange the seats in the chamber for the members of the parliamentary groups and for those members of the Seimas who do not belong to any parliamentary group and allocate premises for meetings of the parliamentary groups; 9) in the manner prescribed by law, appoint to office and dismiss civil servants of the Office of the Seimas; 10) approve regulations, job rules, workers’ 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 budgetary 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) by the advice of the committees, consider and send the Seimas Members 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 parliamentary groups, consider and approve of trips of the Seimas Members 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 of week- or day-long sittings, and submit conclusions to the Assembly of Elders or the Seimas; 5) call unscheduled sittings of the Seimas, fix a time for such sittings; 6) approve a preliminary schedule of sittings of a Seimas session; 7) when necessary, establish to which institutions or persons the principal committee must refer a draft law for conclusions; 8) when necessary, adopt a decision to relieve the principal committee of the obligations set forth in Article 147 of this Statute; 9) when necessary, form working groups for drafting laws and carrying out the assignments of the Seimas or the Board of the Seimas; 10) assist in organising the joint work of the committees on issues which fall within the competence of several committees; 11) approve the structure of the Office of the Seimas, and the largest possible number of posts of civil servants and employees working under employment contracts and receiving salaries from the State budget or the State monetary funds, who work in the Office of the Seimas and the institutions accountable to the Seimas; 12) approve the regulations and rules of procedure of the Office of the Seimas; 13) when …