"In my opinion, a bad consequence of this whole process is that it is discrediting the government itself. Looking for candidates somewhere, as if on the street, sending messages with the candidate list," Kubilius said in an interview to the Žinių Radijas (News Radio) station on Thursday.
He said he saw a risk that Prime Minister-Designate Algirdas Butkevičius might be tempted to shift the burden from his own shoulders to those of the president.
"It's bad when the process itself becomes so discrediting. The prime minister's responsibility is the most important thing here. Sometimes it seems that the prime minister is tempted to solve rather complex relations with coalition partners, even those with various groups within his own Social Democratic political group, in a simplistic and primitive way and submit any candidates to the president without holding internal discussions and to make the president to do that clearing work," Kubilius said.
"This is the risk I see that the prime minister might be tempted to shift the headache from his own shoulders to those of the president. In that case, we are observing such a process of government formation which eventually undermines the Cabinet's authority as an institution, and that's not good," the acting prime minister said.
Prime Minister-Designate Butkevičius said on Wednesday he had all candidates for ministers and was ready to submit the list to President Dalia Grybauskaitė. The list was later sent to the president by email.
On Tuesday, Grybauskaitė started holding meetings with candidates for ministers. They will continue on Thursday and Friday
In Lithuania, ministers are appointed and dismissed by the president upon the nomination by the prime minister.
