President: new Seimas can pave way for new phase of state evolution

“This Seimas has the opportunity to lay the groundwork for an entirely new quality of state evolution and ensure proper conditions for all people of Lithuania to build a happier life in their home country,” Grybauskaite said in her message.

She noted that the new parliament includes 82 new faces. “You hold more than a mandate of people’s trust, you have an immense opportunity. You can contribute to the political system’s transition from still nomenclature political system to a modern parliamentarianism that is is transparent, open and representing people. This is in your hands,” said the president.

“The drastically widening gap between the administration and the people, the feeling of injustice and isolation, lack of political will and underestimated honest work has brought better lives further from our people. Therefore, you, the new Seimas, have become the new hope for thousands of citizens of Lithuania who hoped for the political system to change, for understanding to replace indifference, for responsibility to replace selfishness, for professionalism to replace ignorance and for determined politics to replace inactivity,” said the president.

The new 2016-2020 parliament opened its first meeting in the historic hall of March 11 Act. The meeting is presided by the oldest MP, Juozas Imbrasas, 75, of the Order and Justice party.