"I am calling on the ruling coalition partners not to procrastinate the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights' ruling and to submit necessary legal acts for Seimas adoption during the current session," Paksas said in a public letter issued on Monday in response to the failure by the Seimas Constitutional Commission to adopt any decision on the possibility for him, removed from the presidential office by impeachment, to run for parliament.
According to Paksas, it has been two years already since the ECHR issued its ruling stating that a lifelong ban for a person removed from office by impeachment to hold offices that need a constitutional oath is disproportionate.
Paksas said that "(...) the behavior of the coalition partners, who make a majority in the Constitutional Commission, is surprising and worrying. I would not want to believe that by procrastinating the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights' ruling, somebody hope to make their life easier or, perhaps, avoid competition," the Order and Justice party leader said.
Paksas hopes that "justice is not an empty word for the Labor Party, the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania, and the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, and that the existing four-party partnership is based on common values and not political underhand deals."
Last Wednesday, the Seimas Constitutional Commission failed to make any decision on how the country's Constitution should be amended to provide for cases when people are removed from office by impeachment. The Commission rejected both proposals on restrictions for such persons.
At least 94 Seimas members have to back proposed amendments to the Constitution twice for them be adopted.
Paksas was removed as president by impeachment in April 2004 for breaching his oath and a gross violation of the Constitution after he gave Lithuanian citizenship to his campaign sponsor Yuri Borisov by means of exception.
