Parliamentary Groups of the Seimas Members

Members of the Seimas may form parliamentary groups according to the procedure established by the Statute of the Seimas for implementing their political goals. A parliamentary group of the Seimas members shall be headed and represented in the Seimas by its Elder or Deputy Elder; each Seimas member authorised by a parliamentary group may speak out on behalf of the parliamentary group.

Members of the Seimas who have not been registered in parliamentary groups shall be considered as members of one mixed group of mebers of the Seimas. The mixed group of Seimas members shall be granted all of the rights of a parliamentary group provided for in the Statute of the Seimas.

Right to form Parliamentary Groups and Working Procedure of Parliamentary Groups

Members of the Seimas shall form parliamentary groups voluntarily, not restricted by any mandates. Parliamentary groups may not be established on the basis of professional or local interests. A parliamentary group shall consist of at least 7 Seimas members. Each Seimas member may be a member of only one parliamentary group.

The Elder of a parliamentary group, his Deputy or the member of a parliamentary group authorised by it shall have the right to represent in the Seimas such a part of Seimas members which their parliamentary group forms in the Seimas. Parliamentary groups shall establish their own working procedure, provided that it does not contradict the Statute of the Seimas. Parliamentary groups may join into coalitions which may act as one parliamentary group.

The Majority and Minority of the Seimas

Parliamentary groups of the Seimas whose total number of the members is more than half of members of the Seimas and which have signed a joint action declaration or coalition government agreement shall be considered the majority of the Seimas.

Opposition and other parliamentary groups which do not belong to the majority of the Seimas, as well as a mixed group of Seimas members, shall be considered the minority of the Seimas.

Opposition Parliamentary Groups

Parliamentary groups of Seimas members or their coalitions which disagree with the Government programme may declare themselves opposition parliamentary groups.

Parliamentary groups or their coalitions which proclaim in the Seimas the political declarations wherein the provisions distinguishing them from the majority of the Seimas are laid down shall be considered opposition parliamentary groups. Opposition parliamentary groups or their coalitions shall announce alternative Government programmes.

Opposition parliamentary groups and their coalitions shall be guaranteed all the rights of parliamentary groups and coalitions which are provided for in the Statute of the Seimas. No reason may provide for the restriction of such rights.

If an opposition parliamentary group or their coalition has more than 1/2 of Seimas members belonging to the minority of the Seimas, the Elder of such parliamentary group or the head of the coalition shall be named the leader of the Seimas opposition. The opposition leader shall enjoy additional rights of an opposition leader provided for in the Statute of the Seimas.