Only 74 out of 139 lawmakers were present during the vote on a new version of the Law on Nuclear Power Plant. Seventy voted in favor of the bill and 69 deputies - members of the ruling parties and some opposition MPs - voted in favor of the provisions of the concession agreement.
All Social Democratic MPs and the majority of the Law and Order MPs and of non-affiliated MPs, as well as the Christian MPs, did not take part in the voting. The opposition Labor MPs voted in favor after Parliament backed certain amendments proposed by them
With the bill and other documents related to the project endorsed by the Seimas, a concession agreement with Hitachi is to be signed soon. Hitachi has been chosen as a strategic investor in Lithuania's largest-ever energy project at an estimated 16 billion to 18 billion litas (EUR 4.6-5.2 b).
Hitachi would own 20 percent of shares in the new facility and Lithuania would hold 38 percent. Latvia and Estonia would take stakes of 20 percent and 22 percent, respectively.
The government expects the Visaginas N-plant to be operational by 2020-2022.
Split in opposition
Lithuania's Social Democratic Party has announced its decision to leave the opposition three-party coalition in protest of the Labor Party's support for the Visaginas nuclear power plant project.
"The Social Democratic Party's political group in the Seimas is forced to state that following the political performance in the Seimas regarding the nuclear power plant project, the agreement on correct cooperation during the election campaign, signed by opposition parties, loses its meaning," the Social Democratic Party said in a statement on Thursday.
"We regret to say that our and Labor's positions on the most important issue for Lithuania – the nuclear power plant construction project, which, in our opinion, will push Lithuania into more debt, have split," Algirdas Butkevičius, chairman of the Social Democratic Party, was quoted as saying in the statement.
On 25 May, three opposition parties – the Social Democratic Party, the Labor Party and the Order and Justice Party – signed an agreement on cooperation during the election campaign and forming a coalition after the Seimas elections, to be held on October 14.
Historic decision
Lithuania's Parliament made a historic decision by adopting laws paving the way for the construction of a new nuclear power plant, Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius says.
"I would like express my delight over the fact that very important historic decisions have been made, paving the way for further development of nuclear energy in Lithuania, implementation of the Visaginas nuclear power plant project and proving the opportunity to produce cheaper power in Lithuania in a decade or a bit earlier, attract large investments, create many new jobs during the construction period," Kubilius told journalists at the parliament on Thursday.
In his words, "the decisions made in the Seimas are very responsible, very wise."
"I have to regret that part of the opposition acted not in a very constructive way," the Lithuanian prime minister added.
Kubilius said he was surprised by the position of the social democrats who decided to vote against the bills.
"I am very surprised over the social democrats' position as they say in their party program they support the development of nuclear energy in Lithuania. And they acted in a totally non-constructive way here," he said.
Responsibility of all parties
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė welcomed the adoption by the Seimas of laws regarding the construction of Visaginas nuclear power plant, saying that they pave the way for the implementation of a project important for Lithuania and the whole region in an effort to ensure energy independence.
According to the head of sate, the projects' transparency and quality will depend on the next government that will be formed after the elections in autumn.
"The president believes that Visaginas nuclear power plant is important for Lithuania and the whole region. Laws adopted today provide the opportunity to start the implementation of this project," the Press Service of the President told BNS.
"Implemented transparently and beneficially for Lithuania, it will help ensure the country's energy independence. The project's transparency and quality will depend on the next government," Grybauskaitė said.
In the president's opinion, ensuring the country's energy independence is the responsibility of all political parties and their obligation to the people of Lithuania.
