“Farmers” will urge Karbauskis to answer questions regarding Kildišienė

During the Lithuanian Farmer and Greens Union congress and council meeting to be held in Naisiai, Šiauliai region on Saturday, several members of the council intend to urge party leader Ramūnas Karbauskis to answer questions regarding former member of Seimas Greta Kildišienė and his role in publishing her book.

“The chairman will have to explain what actually happened there. And I will be one of those people [who will be demanding an explanation,” said “Farmer” deputy chairman, Seimas Committee of Economics chairman VIrginijus Sinkevičius.

Another deputy of R. Karbauskis’, Kęstutis Mažeika also intends to request answers.

According to him, the party chairman must demonstrate the highest standards. “I would like some clarity. I believe that when we meet, we will certain figure this out,” the head of the Seimas Committee of Environmental Protection said.

These reactions are a response to a meeting between R. Karbauskis, G. Kildišienė, her lawyer Liudvika Meškauskaitė and public relations experts last week.

According to BNS sources, the meeting held at the office of PR Service / Edelman Affiliate was scheduled to discuss the G. Kildišienė’s recently published biography “Atvirai”, it’s marketing and distribution campaign.

Seimas Committee of National Security and Defence chairman Vytautas Bakas, who does not belong to the “Farmer” party, but entered Seimas under its banners also confirmed that R. Karbauskis has to present answers regarding his potential support for G. Kildišienė’s book “very clearly.”

“Particularly considering the context – if it were Mrs. Greta’s own initiative, that’s one matter. She, it would appear, is no longer a public figure. But since we see that the party leader advised and displayed such attention to the book and the person of Mrs. Greta, these questions must undoubtedly be answered as soon as possible because otherwise there will be great harm to both the party and group, and it could become an obstacle in making decisions because for that we need public support and trust,” the member of Seimas said.

Members of Seimas said they feel hurt by R. Karbauskis’ actions because they discredit the political power and its accomplishments.

“We could say that perhaps someone finds this situation amusing, but what is hurt the most is our community that is working and went into the elections intent on making change,” V. Sinkevičius said. “This discredits both the party and the group, though neither has anything to do with his personal meetings,” the politician added.

He was echoed by V. Bakas, “I am glad the coalition is working, (…) but I am hurt to hear and read things that we are wasting time on such soap operas.” The politician noted he is saddened that “the party dedicates so much effort toward questions about and the person of Mrs. Greta.”

“I would like to see the party leadership’s efforts concentrated on domestic policy questions. I will personally try to initiate this during summer already – sitting down with colleagues, discussing what we could do so that the group’s reputation, greatly dominated by Mrs. Greta [as a topic], would change,” V. Bakas stated.

“I believe we are capable of much more, we have passed many decisions of importance to Lithuania during the spring session, we proved that we can make those decisions and truth be told the story with Greta… I do not believe that priorities should be assigned this way,” he added.

K. Mažeika stated that the current situation does not honour the party. “It would appear that we ended the spring session fairly well, but such “pearls” nevertheless emanate negativity. This is not linked to politics, with decisions being made, but people care, the media writes and thus you get such a shadow,” K. Mažeika said, “I do not want these things, we have to show a serious face and serious positions.”

Lithuanian Farmer and Greens Union vice chairmen Bronis Ropė, Arvydas Nekrošius and Viktoras Rinkevičius provided BNS no further comments.

The “Farmer” leader states that the Thursday meeting at PR Service / Edelman Affiliate was to discuss potential cooperation. According to him the “peculiar news being distributed that supposedly I contributed to the book’s financing” was also discussed.

R. Karbauskis later said he remained at the company’s office with its head Romualda Stonkutė because he was performing a “social experiment” during which he watched, how the news media forms “fake news” about him. After spending eight hours at the company’s office and having left it prior to midnight, R. Karbauskis states he was not hiding.