20 January 2009
Dear Colleagues,
The incidents in Vilnius,
Klaipėda, Šiauliai, and Alytus last Friday have inspired me to address you
today*.
First, I assume a moral
responsibility for what happened by the building of the Seimas and several
other cities and towns in Lithuania. People are dissatisfied with the current
situation and I respect those who came to express their opinion openly.
Nevertheless, I will never justify the broken windows, as well as the use of
explosive materials or weapons. Protests cannot be associated with destruction,
social tension, and violence.
Second, I wish to make a clear
distinction between those people who came to a peaceful protest against one or
another political decision and those who were consciously preparing for inciting
discord and later took part in the riot. The latter have to answer before the
law. I would like to call the attention of all the law enforcement agencies to
the fact that school children were also present by the Seimas. I believe that
many of them were driven by curiosity and became unintentionally involved in
the incident. Some of them were arrested. Their cases should be investigated
with particular care to prevent us from ruining the lives of young people for
one slip they have made.
Third, we have to admit that as a
ruling coalition we have failed to provide the public with sufficient
explanation of the necessity of our decisions. Moreover, the decisions are
unpopular; people do not comprehend them and thus disagree with them. Naturally, it is not easy to return to a
harder life and give up a better one. Therefore, we should have explained that
these decisions are taken for a simple reason to ensure a timely payment of
retirement pensions, social benefits, and salaries.
Fourth, I am prepared to talk
with everyone who is ready for a positive conversation. Tomorrow I am meeting
with the Association of Small Business and Trade, as well as with the
leadership of the Confederation of Trade Unions. In future I will meet with everyone who is ready for a dialogue.
Fifth, in the current economic
situation we are forced to increase certain tax rates; though, now the
situation reminds of water being poured into a leaky vessel. Except that it is
not water but hard work for a living while the holes in the vessel stand for
various state programmes absorbing additional funds. They absorb not millions
but billions. The expedience of some of the programmes is really dubious or
even worse, their transparency is questionable. Yes, festivals are good. But
the Royal Palace will not pay retirement pensions and fireworks cannot feed
people. Therefore, I propose to form a Seimas Commission to include the
representatives of all political parties. It can be used as an opportunity to
submit reasoned proposals on what could be amended or changed. Probably, the
Commission can revise state programmes once again in order to find out whether
all of the programmes should be funded from the state budget. Some of them
could possibly wait for better times to come. Meantime, before the Commission
is formed, I recommend to announce the suspension of the programmes that are
most costly to the budget and to resume them only when the Commission approves
the necessity, expedience and transparency of such programmes.
I suggest that we should discuss
this issue at the next extraordinary session that is scheduled for the middle
of February.
Sixth, I propose all
parliamentary political parties to sign an agreement on responsible actions in
the situation of the crisis. I invite the widest possible public circle to join
the agreement to include for example, business people and representatives of
artistic organisations, as well as trade unions.
Seventh, responding to the query
of the Speaker of the Seimas last week, the Constitutional Court passed a
favourable ruling concerning the reduction of salaries for Members of the
Seimas in the face of the critical situation. We can reduce the salaries and we
must do it. Therefore, I propose to reduce our salaries at least by half and I
also invite those Members of the Seimas who can afford it to follow my example
and donate the entire salary for charity. Also, as the Speaker of the Seimas, I
request the Secretary General to remove as soon as possible from the Seimas all
massage parlours, hairdressers, solariums, and other small businesses that
have nothing to do with the activities of the Parliament. This matter will be
discussed during the meeting of the Board of the Seimas tomorrow.
Eighth, undoubtedly, we all
understand it very well that we are facing a global crisis now. Many countries
find themselves in a similar situation or even worse. Unfortunately, the
situation does not depend on the political party in power. I suggest refraining
from party responsibility rhetoric or from looking for a scapegoat.
All of us, both former and
incumbent MPs, must assume the responsibility for the future of Lithuania and
overcome the crisis without putting an unbearable burden on our people.
I invite you to demonstrate your
patriotic spirit and abstain from making open accusations in the public space,
i.e. in the press or other media.
People see the discord among us;
as a result it is incorrect to encourage peace, unity and serenity of the
public afterwards. All the arguments must be resolved here in the Seimas by
parliamentary means.
Dear Colleagues, we joke that
Lithuania has more parties than people. We have been facing disagreement,
dispute and animosity at different periods in history. However, at all times we
managed to remain united and to defend the values, which constitute the basis
of our life.
Let us burry the hatchet and
forget the discord and let us undertake a constructive and concerted action for
the sake of the only one for Lithuania.
*The Speaker of the Seimas
refers to the protest meetings organised in Lithuania
