“The opposition aims to turn the Seimas into a circus and paralyze its operations. I do not want to be the reason for worse political performance and accumulation of political capital by the opposition. Therefore, I made the only correct decision I could in this situation – I am leaving the parliament with honor,” Bastys told a news conference.
He took the decision after an initiative announced at the parliament to take a repeated vote on revocation of his mandate.
In a secret ballot on Tuesday, 72 of Lithuania’s 141 lawmakers voted in support or revoking Bastys’ mandate, while 21 were against and 24 abstained. Removal of a mandate requires at least 85 votes.
The Constitutional Court has ruled that the lawmaker grossly violated the Constitution and breached the oath by concealing his ties with Piotr Voyeiko, a former KGB agent.