V. Sinkevičius stated on Wednesday during an interview with “Žinių radijas” that the final decision regarding the coalition agreement rests with the political parties involved. He emphasized that whatever course of action is taken, it must operate strictly within the boundaries established by the Constitution.
Sinkevičius expressed concern about potential political instability, cautioning against any situation where the Constitution, the Constitutional Court, or the judiciary itself become subjects of public questioning, as this could threaten the foundational structures of the state. The immediate focus of the discussion centered on a draft coalition agreement prepared by the Social Democrats, Democrats “For the sake of Lithuania,” and “Valdovai.” Notably, the current draft does not incorporate any specific provisions concerning the Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT). This omission contrasts with prior accords.
A previous coalition agreement, established between the Social Democrats, Democrats, and the “Aušra” parties, had explicitly stipulated that LRT must “ensure freedom of speech and the variety of opinions in the public broadcaster’s activities.”
This issue was recently reiterated by Andrius Kubilius, the president of the Lithuanian Parliament, who also stated last week that LRT should guarantee both freedom of speech and a diversity of opinions in its operations. Sinkevičius’s comments highlighted the procedural hurdles surrounding the commitment to sign any final pact. He indicated that the political bodies must first decide on the terms, stressing that the process must be unimpeachable.
He questioned whether the parties could not reach a consensus that fully addresses the concerns regarding the public broadcaster, given the divergence from previous agreements.
Topics: #not #sign #decide
It appears the decision on the LRT amendments is entirely dependent on the internal party vote.