Anti-refugee initiative dealt major setback in Lithuania

Zenonas Vaigauskas, the chairman of the Central Electoral Commission, announced on Monday that the activists collected about 35,000 signatures over two months.

“It’s clear that they lack signatures. In order for the Seimas to be obligated to consider a legislative proposal, no less than 50,000 signatures must be collected over two months in support of such an initiative,” said Vaigauskas.

The 50,000 signature minimum for public legislative proposals to the Seimas is defined by the constitution.

With 50,000 signatures, the Seimas would have been obligated to consider the legislative proposal, but it would not necessarily have had to implement it.