2024-07-18 00:00:23
Portal lrytas.lt according to sources, Viktoras Uspaskichs, who has taken over the party again and is trying to preserve it, on Tuesday joined hands with the “Peace Coalition” gathered before the European Parliament (EP) elections, which includes the Lithuanian Christian Democracy Party led by Mindaugas Puidoks and the Žemaičiai Party led by Irena Stražinskaitė-Glinskienė.
General Valdas Tutkus, who is attached to the political power of M. Puidoks, is going to enter the parliamentary elections with this coalition.
Portal lrytas.lt as far as we know, V.Uspaskich is listed as number one, M.Puidokas as number two, V.Tutkus and Stasys Jakeliūnas, who previously ran for the Seimas with the Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union, and Stasys Jakeliūnas, who already ran for the EP with the Lithuanian Regions Party, will continue to line up.
S. Jakeliūnas himself for the portal lrytas.lt confirmed that he is number four on the list of this coalition. Why did he and the Party of Regions part ways?
“The Party of Regions appeared to me to be too close to the position of the president. When there were international, that is, EP elections, those topics were different, but during the election campaign and when I started talking about the election program, I felt that I could cause inconvenience to the Party of Regions, because my proposals could contradict the position of the president”, – to the portal lrytas.lt he explained.
In addition, according to S. Jakeliūnas, his own and the “Peace Coalition’s” approach to the war in Ukraine and “stopping the spread of hatred in Lithuania” especially coincide.
However, neither with the temporary leader of the Labor Party, V. Uspaskich, nor with M. Puidoks, nor with V. Tutkus, on Wednesday, the portal lrytas.lt could not be contacted.
It is true that at noon the Labor Party itself, by issuing a press release, revealed all the cards about the signed coalition agreement. It is reported that V. Uspaskich is taking the lead and united all three political forces for the Seimas elections.
The same name as the “Peace Coalition” was chosen for this coalition, and V. Uspaskich was elected as its leader.
As stated in the press release, V. Uspaskich has no doubt that the formation of the coalition is only the beginning, as people’s dissatisfaction with the current situation has reached its peak – changes in the country’s political atmosphere are inevitable.
V. Uspaskich is convinced that if “in just a few days it was possible to reach such agreements and unite and join forces with different people who are united by a common determination to work for Lithuania and to achieve necessary and expected changes in the state, then changes in Lithuania will definitely be possible”.
It is noted that the assembled coalition will pursue ambitious goals in the Seimas elections held in October.
Earlier, V. Uspaskich has mentioned that he is not interested in any political positions. Portal lrytas.lt according to sources, the former member of the European Parliament may still refuse the first number on the list before the elections, if he sees that the coalition is in danger of not entering the Seimas. He said he would not want to be associated with another failure.
As the portal announced on Monday 15min, the actor Žilvinas Tratas and the owner of the concern “Vikonda”, former wife of V.Uspaskich, Jolanta Blazytė, were captured leaving the headquarters of the Labor Party in Vilnius that day. It is not excluded that their names may also appear in the coalition list.
Formerly for the portal lrytas.lt V. Uspaskich said that his ex-wife would be a great leader of the list.
“It would be very nice if she agreed. She would be a good leader, she is knowledgeable and has experience. But I know she doesn’t really want to. If Jolanta were to go, then I wouldn’t go”, the temporary leader of the Labor Party laughed when asked about the rumors that J. Blažytė could also run for the Seimas.
By the way, Petras Gražulis also announced on Tuesday about the coalition being assembled for the Seimas elections.
The People’s and Justice Union (centrists, nationalists) led by him joins the Christian Union led by Rimantas Jonas Dagis, the “Trade Union Center” led by Kęstutis Juknis and the Movement of Lithuanian Families led by Raimonds Grinevičius.
On Monday, P. Gražulis also participated in the meeting with the coalition formed by V. Uspaskich, but it was not possible to reach an agreement on the joint association.
“We tried to talk with the Labor Party, we thought that we would make a broad coalition. But unfortunately, it could not be done. The Labor Party is going separately. Basically, the attitude towards Ukraine differed”, – to the portal lrytas.lt P. Gražulis said on Wednesday.
The MEP assured that he and V.Uspaskich had not even approached the coordination of positions in the list or other technical issues: “There was no such coordination. And after that, I don’t know whether we would have reconciled or not.”
Seimas elections will be held on October 13.
2024-07-18 00:00:23