Centre Union of Lithuania
The Lietuvos centro sąjunga (LCS, literally German: Centre Union of Lithuania, Lithuanian Centre Union) was a liberal political party in Lithuania.
The beginnings of the party were in the "liberal bloc" of Sąjūdis Group in the Constitution Assembly, which had been determined in the first free elections in the Soviet Union in February 1990. Before the upcoming elections in the first newly independent Lithuania in October 1992 was formed from the " liberal bloc" Lithuanian Zentristenbewegung ( lit. Lietuvos centristų judėjimas ). She was not very successful in the elections and was only able to send two deputies as direct mandatories to parliament. These were the chairman Romualdas Ozolas ( directly elected in Šiauliai) and Egidijus Bičkauskas (elected in Vilnius).
In 1993, due to the new Lithuanian Law on Political Parties was transformed into a political party and was renamed Lietuvos centro sąjunga. Chairman remained Ozolas, Bičkauskas became chairman of the party executive.
The next parliamentary elections in October 1996 were very successful for LCS. With 8.2% of the valid votes, the LCS was fourth most powerful force in the then very fragmented political landscape. She put 14 deputies (including 5 direct mandates ) and participated in the formation of a center - right coalition led by Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius of the Conservatives. Algis Caplikas was to fracture the coalition in May 1999, construction and environment minister. According to the coalition, the centrist tolerated the following minority governments Rolandas Paksas and Andrius Kubilius.
The parliamentary elections in October 2000 brought a crushing defeat for the LCS that the required 5 % threshold failed to clear with 2.9 % of votes. Only a direct mandate could be achieved directly ( Gintaras Šileikis ). The defeat was all the more painful when the LCS was promoted in the local elections in March 2000 with 173 mandatary still the fourth- largest party ( strongholds Varėna, Kazlų Rūda, Elektrėnai, Šakiai and Druskininkai ). In the local elections of 2002, these results were confirmed (156 seats).
To avoid a similar fate in 2000 before the parliamentary elections in 2004, there were after the local elections in 2002 negotiations with other liberal parties ÜThe a merger. This was decided in May 2003 to a large union congress. The LCS, the Liberal Union (LLS ) and the Modern Christian ( MKDS ) merged to form the present Liberal and Centre Union ( LiCS ).
Cleavage of Lietuvos centro partija
Part of the LCS- members (including party founder Romualdas Ozolas ) turned against the associated with the merger with LLS turn to economic liberalism and founded on 1 May 2003, the Lietuvos nacionalinė partija (LNP; German National Party of Lithuania ). She was christened on 21 May, 2005 Lietuvos centro partija (LCP; German Lithuanian Centre Party ) renamed. Party chairman was initially Romualdas Ozolas; he was replaced in October 2007 by Arūnas Grumadas.
The party has since its inception in May 2003 in the political life of the country may not play a significant role. Participation in the parliamentary elections of 2004 and 2008 yielded 0.5 and 0.7% of the vote. In the local elections in 2007 the party could win 13 18 mandates, alone in Varėna district, they ruled by a narrow absolute majority.
At the 2009 European elections, the LCP was able to present the well-known politician Ona Juknevičienė, which had made strong against the part - privatization of the state-owned energy company Lietuvos energija list as leader and came to a remarkable 3.1% of the valid votes.
Weblink
- Homepage of the party LCP ( lit.)