Orinta Leiputė, Vice-Chair of the Seimas and leader of the Social Democratic Party faction, believes that the proposals to abolish the Constitutional Court are simply an impulsive statement by Žemaitaitis.
„I am sceptical. I think this is just an impulsive, emotional statement on his part. We are not even considering this as a possibility at this point,“ Leiputė told ELTA.
She insists that the Constitutional Court must remain in place.
„This court must ensure that laws and other legal acts do not violate the constitution,“ said the Social Democrat.
Another Seimas vice-chair, Social Democrat Rasa Budbergytė, also disagrees with Žemaitaitis' opinion.
„This is unfounded, unargued, cheap populism. As a lawyer, I categorically disagree with such an opinion,“ she said.
Meanwhile, Ligita Girskienė, leader of the Lithuanian Peasants, Greens, and Christian Families Union faction in the Seimas, believes that the procedure for appointing Constitutional Court judges should be reviewed.
„The procedures for selecting candidates for Constitutional Court judges, the requirements applied to them, and the assurance of impartiality should be fundamentally reviewed so that we can avoid the implementation of political preferences when adopting resolutions in the future. I also believe that politicians who are actively involved in the legislative branch should not be appointed as Constitutional Court judges,“ Girskienė told ELTA.
According to the Peasant, talk of abolishing the Constitutional Court is populist.
„The Lithuanian Peasants and Greens Union do not support such ideas at all. The function of the Constitutional Court is to ensure that the Seimas, the government, and the president do not exceed their powers, and that the laws adopted and their application do not contradict the constitution. In other words, to limit the excesses of government institutions, ensuring human rights and democracy,“ said the leader of the joint Peasants' faction.
Believes that this is undermining the foundations of the state
According to Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Chairman of the opposition Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD) faction in the Seimas, Žemaitaitis proposal to abolish the Constitutional Court is entirely absurd.
„I see this as a proposal that undermines the foundations of our constitutional state. Apparently, this should be viewed in a broader context, where various initiatives by Žemaitaitis are, in principle, aimed at undermining the foundations of our state,“ said Kasčiūnas.
According to Linas Kukuraitis, a member of the Seimas Democratic Party Vardan Lietuvos, the latest proposal regarding the Constitutional Court is a systematic attack by the leader of Nemuno Aušra against the foundations of the state.
„We constantly see Žemaitaitis criticising the main law enforcement institutions, the prosecutor's office, various services, and their work. There is also a desire to initiate audits of all possible state institutions, thereby reducing confidence in their activities. Now we are hearing the constitutional foundations of the state being questioned. This is a party that has chosen to belittle state institutions as part of its political strategy, thereby reaping political dividends,“ Kukuraitis told ELTA.
Meanwhile, Vitalijus Gailius, Deputy Chairman of the Seimas Committee on Legal Affairs and Law Enforcement (TTK) and a liberal, believes that Žemaitaitis' statement about the Constitutional Court lacks legal basis.
„I evaluate the initiative when a draft of the relevant legislation is presented. In this case, an unfounded, ill-considered phrase has been uttered, aimed simply at people who are indignant about everything,“ said the member of the Seimas Liberal Movement faction.
As ELTA has already reported, the leader of the Nemuno Aušra party, Žemaitaitis, stated this week that the Constitutional Court is politicised and should therefore be closed.
According to the politician, who broke his oath as a member of the Seimas, the functions of the Constitutional Court could be performed by a special constitutional division established within the Supreme Court of Lithuania.