Conservative MP proposes to abolish proportional representation in Lithuanian parliamentary elections

Lithuania currently uses a mixed electoral system where 70 seats in parliament, the Seimas, are allocated to parties according to proportional representation and 71 MPs are elected in single-member constituencies.

“The goal of the proposal is to replace the existing mixed-member proportional representation parliamentary election system, when 71 MPs are elected in single-member constituencies and 70 based on party-lists, with the new two-round majority voting, when all MPs are elected only in single-member constituencies,” said Kreivys.

He has proposed to set the number of single-member constituencies at 141 and elect all MPs there, doing away with party lists altogether.

“Public opinion polls show that two thirds of voters would like to elect MPs only in single-member constituencies. The goal of the amendment is to improve the existing parliamentary election system which lacks direct responsibility to voters, to create conditions for a more stable political system, to strengthen parties and confidence in them, to ensure more stable work of legislative and executive powers, to make the election system simpler, more transparent and understandable to voters,” the MP said.

As reported, last week Parliament Speaker Loreta Graužinienė and heads of political groups in the Lithuanian Parliament discussed about the Constitutional Court’s ruling on constituencies and decided that in 2016 the election system will not be changed. A proposal from some Social Democratic MPs envisaged abolishing single-member constituencies and switching fully to proportional representation.