Government`s Constitutional Obligations

Official translation

CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

(Approved by the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania in the Referendum on 25 October 1992)

CHAPTER 7

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA

Article 91

The Government of the Republic of Lithuania shall consist of the Prime Minister and Ministers.

Article 92

The Prime Minister shall, with the approval of the Seimas, be appointed or dismissed by the President of the Republic.

The Ministers shall be appointed by the President of the Republic on the nomination of the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, within 15 days of being appointed, shall present the Government which he or she has formed and which has been approved by the President of the Republic to the Seimas and shall submit the programme of its activities to the Seimas for consideration.

The Government shall return its powers to the President of the Republic after the Seimas elections or upon electing the President of the Republic.

A new Government shall be empowered to act after the Seimas approves its programme by majority vote of the Seimas members participating in the sitting.

Article 93

On entering upon their duties, the Prime Minister and the individual Ministers shall, in the Seimas, take an oath to be loyal to the Republic of Lithuania and to observe the Constitution and laws. The text of the oath shall be established by the Law on the Government.

Article 94

The Government of the Republic of Lithuania shall:

  1. administer the affairs of the country, protect the inviolability of the territory of the Republic of Lithuania, and ensure State security and public order;
  2. implement laws and resolutions of the Seimas concerning the implementation of laws, as well as the decrees of the President;
  3. coordinate the activities of the ministries and other governmental institutions;
  4. prepare the draft budget of the State and submit it to the Seimas; execute the State Budget and report on the fulfilment of the budget to the Seimas;
  5. draft bills and submit them to the Seimas for consideration;
  6. establish diplomatic relations and maintain relations with foreign countries and international organisations; and
  7. discharge other duties prescribed to the Government by the Constitution and other laws.

Article 95

The Government of the Republic of Lithuania shall resolve the affairs of State administration at its sittings by issuing directives which must be passed by a majority vote of all members of the Government. The State Controller may also participate in the sittings of the Government.

Government directives shall be signed by the Prime Minister and the appropriate Minister.

Article 96

The Government of the Republic of Lithuania shall be jointly responsible to the Seimas for the general activities of the Government.

The Ministers, in directing the spheres of administration entrusted to them, shall be responsible to the Seimas, the President of the Republic, and directly subordinate to the Prime Minister.

Article 97

The Prime Minister shall represent the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and shall direct its activities.

In the absence of the Prime Minister, or when the Prime Minister is unable to fulfil his or her duties, the President of the Republic of Lithuania, upon the recommendation of the Prime Minister, shall charge one of the Ministers to substitute for the Prime Minister during a period not exceeding 60 days; when there is no recommendation, the President of the Republic shall charge one of the Ministers to substitute for the Prime Minister.

Article 98

Ministers shall head their respective ministries, shall resolve issues assigned to the competence of their ministries, and shall also discharge other functions prescribed by laws.

A Minister may be temporarily substituted only by another member of the Government appointed by the Prime Minister.

Article 99

The Prime Minister and Ministers may not hold any other office subject to nomination or election, may not be employed in business, commercial or other private institutions or companies, and may not receive any remuneration other than the salary established for their respective Government offices and compensation for creative activities.

Article 100

The Prime Minister and Ministers may not be prosecuted, arrested or have their freedoms restricted in any other way without the preliminary consent of the Seimas, or, if the Seimas is not in session, of the President of the Republic.

Article 101

Upon the request of the Seimas, the Government or individual Ministers must give an account of their activities to the Seimas.

When more than half of the Ministers are changed, the Government must be re-invested with authority by the Seimas. Otherwise, the Government must resign.

The Government must also resign if:

  1. the Seimas disapproves two times in succession of the programme of the newly-formed Government;
  2. the majority of all the Seimas deputies express a lack of confidence in the Government or in the Prime Minister in a secret ballot vote;
  3. the Prime Minister resigns or dies; or
  4. after Seimas elections, when a new Government is formed.

A Minister must resign if more than a half of all the Seimas members express, in a secret ballot vote, a lack of confidence in him or her.

The President of the Republic shall accept resignations of the Government or individual Ministers.

Last updated: 11-12-2023