Deputy Speaker of the Seimas of Lithuania: “according to some standards of the electoral system, Kazakhstan has surpassed us”

Vilnius, March 14, 2023 - The Lithuanian Seimas hosted a roundtable on the upcoming parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan, with the participation of Deputy Speakers Mr. Julius Sabatauskas and Mr. Jonas Jarutis, representatives of various factions and committees of the Lithuanian Parliament.

The Ambassador of Kazakhstan spoke in detail about the practical implementation of the constitutional reform, the ongoing political and economic transformations in our country, and the measures taken to ensure free and transparent elections of deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament and maslikhats.

Julius Sabatauskas praised both the innovations introduced in the electoral system and the constitutional changes as a whole, which allow the democratic potential of the state and society to unfold more fully. This makes it possible to strengthen political competition and create institutional mechanisms for dialogue in the decision-making process. He especially emphasized the restoration of the right of Kazakhstani voters to vote “against all”.

The discussion of the new norm of distribution of mandates by party lists, including the established 30% quota for women, youth, and people with special needs, caused a lively discussion among the participants of the event.  

Mr. Edmuntas Pupinis, the Chairman of the interparliamentary friendship group “Kazakhstan-Lithuania", expressed interest in working together and exchanging experience with the deputies of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the new convocation after the elections. Mutual support of Kazakh and Lithuanian elected officials both in a bilateral format and on international platforms will contribute to the rapprochement of the peoples of the two countries.

During the event, issues of further development of trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, and expansion of cooperation in the transport and logistics sphere, primarily related to the transit potential of Lithuania in trade relations between East and West, were also discussed.  

Separately, they focused on the issues of increasing the mutual tourist flow, facilitating the visa regime for citizens of Kazakhstan to Lithuania and the countries of the Schengen Agreement, as well as strengthening cultural and humanitarian ties.

The deputies of the Seimas expressed gratitude to the people of Kazakhstan for preserving historical memory and opening a monument to Lithuanian political prisoners in the Spassky Memorial Complex in Karagandy. The Kazakhstani ambassador, for his part, thanked Lithuanian partners for their careful attitude toward the war graves of Kazakhstani soldiers who died in that country during World War II.