REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
LAW
ON
THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT
Article 1. The announcement of the results of the elections
for President of the Republic shall be the publication of the
Resolution of the Electoral Committee for Elections of the
President of the Republic in the newspapers of the Republic of
Lithuania through the Lithuanian News Agency (ELTA).
The Electoral Committee for Elections of the President of
the Republic shall present the elected President of the Republic
with the Presidential certificate of the Republic of Lithuania
within three hours of the publication of results of the elections
for President of the Republic.
Article 2. The elected President of the Republic shall begin
presidential duties on the day following the expiration of the
term of the previous President of the Republic, and after taking
the presidential oath to the People in Vilnius and in the
presence of members of the Seimas, who are representatives of the
People.
In the event that the President was elected in cases
provided for in part 1 of Article 89 of the Constitution of the
Republic of Lithuania, the president shall begin duties five days
after the publication of the results of the elections for
President of the Republic, and after taking the presidential oath
to the People in Vilnius and in the presence of members of the
Seimas, who are representatives of the People.
Article 3. The following text shall be the established oath
of the President of the Republic:
,,I, (full name),
swear to the People to be faithful to the Republic of Lithuania
and its Constitution, to respect and implement the laws, and to
protect the integrity of the territories of Lithuania;
swear to conscientiously execute the Office of President of the
Republic and to be equally just to each individual;
swear to strengthen, to the best of my ability, the independence
of Lithuania, and to serve the Homeland, democracy and the well-
being of the people of Lithuania.
So help me God!
The last sentence may be omitted from the oath.
Article 4. The President of the Republic shall take the oath
in the Seimas building during a sitting of the Seimas.
The President of the Republic shall take the oath while
standing before the Chairperson of the Constitutional Court who
shall administer the oath, or, in the absence of the Chairperson,
in front of one of the judges of the Constitutional Court; the
President shall read the text of the oath holding his hand on the
Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania.
Upon taking the oath, the President of the Republic shall
sign the act of the oath. After the President, the act of the
oath shall be signed by the Chairperson of the Constitutional
Court, or, in the Chairperson's absence, by the judge of the
Constitutional Court who has administered the oath. The act of
oath of the President of the Republic shall be handed to the
Chairperson of the Seimas and shall be kept in the Seimas.
The text of the oath shall not be amended or changed.
Noncompliance with this provision as well as refusal to take the
oath at a sitting of the Seimas, refusal to sign the act of the
oath, or signing with reservations thereof shall signify that the
President of the Republic has not taken the oath and therefore
may not carry out presidential duties.
The National Anthem shall be sung after the signing of the
act of the oath.
Article 5. The signatories of the 11 March 1990 Act on the
Reestablishment of the Independent State of Lithuania, members of
the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, dignitaries and
representatives of the Churches of Lithuania, representatives of
political parties and other political and public movements, as
well as diplomats of foreign states accredited in Lithuania shall
be invited to take part in the inaugural ceremony of the
President of the Republic.
Lithuanian radio and television shall broadcast (live) the
inauguratory ceremony of the President of the Republic.
Article 6. The day after the President of the Republic takes
oath, the Government shall return its powers to the President.
Article 7. A person who has been elected the President of
the Republic must suspend his or her activities in political
parties and political organisations until the beginning of a new
presidential election campaign. The President of the Republic
must publicize such a statement the day after the Electoral
Committee for Elections of the President of the Republic presents
him with the certificate of President of the Republic.
Article 8. The honor and dignity of the President of the
Republic shall be protected by the laws of the Republic of
Lithuania.
Laws shall provide responsibility for public insult or
slander of the President of the Republic.
Article 9. The President of the Republic, as the head of the
State, shall be allotted time on State radio and television to
speak on issues of domestic and international policy.
In the event of an emergency, time which has not been
provided for in radio and television programs must be given to
the President of the Republic.
Article 10. Persons who have served as President of the
Republic shall hold the title of President of the Republic for
the rest of their lives.
Article 11. The President of the Republic shall use a round
stamp and document forms inscribed with the State Emblem of
Lithuania. The stamp shall contain the inscription ,,The
President of the Republic of Lithuania.
Article 12. The President of the Republic shall have a flag
which shall be the symbol of the head of the State.
The flag of the President of the Republic shall be made of
purple cloth, on both sides of which the State Emblem of
Lithuania shall be in the center, held by a griffin on the right
and a unicorn on the left. The width to length ratio of the flag
of the President of the Republic shall be 1 : 1.2.
The flag of the President of the Republic as well as
pictures thereof must always correspond to the standard picture
of the colors of the flag of the President of the Republic, which
shall be approved by the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on
the recommendation of the Heraldry Committee of Lithuania.
The flag of the President of the Republic shall be flown
over the residence of the President of the Republic when the
President of the Republic is in Vilnius, or in the place where
the President's summer residence is located.
The flag of the President of the Republic shall also be
flown on ships or other vehicles, on or in which the President of
the Republic is.
Article 13. The President of the Republic shall have a
residence which shall serve as the premises for the President of
the Republic's work, representation and residence, as well as the
working premises of assistant officials.
Funds allocated to finance the residence of the President of
the Republic shall be provided for in the Law on the State
Budget, where funds allocated to finance units providing services
to the President of the Republic shall be indicated separately.
Fixed-term labour contracts shall be concluded with the officials
of the units providing assistance to the President of the
Republic for the term of office of the President of the Republic.
In the event that the powers of the President of the Republic are
terminated, the officials assisting the President shall, in all
cases, resign.
The President of the Republic shall issue orders related to
issues of his residence, the structure of the units assisting
him, personnel, and the organization of internal work.
Article 14. The material accumulated in the Chancellery of
the President of the Republic as well as in other units shall be
a special and constituent part of the history of the People and
the State of Lithuania, and shall be national property.
The archival material which is accumulated in the Chancellery of
the President of the Republic as well as in other units shall be
arranged and kept in pursuance with regulations which shall be
established by special provisions of the Republic of Lithuania
Law on Archives. The Head of the Chancellery of the President of
the Republic shall be personally responsible for the
accumulation, arrangement and keeping of such archival material.
Article 15. The President of the Republic, in implementing
the powers vested in him, shall issue acts - decrees.
Decrees of the President of the Republic shall be registered
in the book of decrees of the President of the Republic and shall
be given an appropriate current number.
In accordance with the established procedure, decrees of the
President of the Republic shall be published in the Parliamentary
and Governmental Records and newspapers, and shall be publicized
through radio and television.
Decrees of the President of the Republic shall enter into
force on the day after the announcement thereof, provided that
another date of entry into force is not indicated therein.
Article 16. Decrees of the President of the Republic
concerning issues specified in Article 85 of the Constitution of
the Republic of Lithuania shall also be signed by:
1) the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania - concerning
issues of the appointment or dismissal of diplomatic
representatives of the Republic of Lithuania to foreign states
and in international organisations;
2) the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania -
concerning the granting of highest diplomatic ranks and special
titles;
3) the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania - concerning
the granting of highest military ranks;
4) the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania - concerning
the declaration of a state of emergency; and
5) the Minister of Internal Affairs - concerning the granting of
Lithuanian citizenship.
Article 17. Laws which are handed over to the President of
the Republic of Lithuania to be signed and officially promulgated
must be signed by the Seimas Chairperson or Deputy Chairperson,
thereby certifying the authenticity of the law which has been
adopted by the Seimas, in accordance with the procedure
established by the Statute of the Seimas.
Laws of the Republic of Lithuania which are handed to the
President of the Republic to be signed and officially promulgated
shall be registered in a special book in which the date of the
signing and promulgation thereof shall later be indicated, or
records shall be made concerning the return of these laws to the
Seimas for repeat consideration.
At the end of the text of a law of the Republic of Lithuania
and before the signature of the President there shall be and
entry reading: "I promulgate this Law adopted by the Seimas of
the Republic of Lithuania".
Article 18. The following state maintenance and service for
the President of the Republic shall be established:
1) a salary equal to 25 minimal standards of living;
2) a residence and official flat in Vilnius as well as a summer
residence;
3) a special purpose aircraft and two motor cars;
4) protection provided by a special service;
5) representation expenses inside the country; and
6) expenses when visiting foreign states in accordance with
general international standards.
Article 19. Gifts which the President of the Republic
receives during official visits to foreign states, as well as
from representatives of foreign states during their official
visits to Lithuania, shall be the property of the State and shall
be kept in the residence of the President of the Republic. Such
gifts may, in the established manner, be transferred to museums
for safe keeping; particularly valuable gifts may be transferred
to the Bank of Lithuania.
The procedure established in this Article shall also be
applied to gifts which are presented to the President of the
Republic as the head of the State in Lithuania.
Article 20. The safety of the President's of the Republic
family shall be ensured by the special service.
Upon leaving state service, the President of the Republic
shall, for the rest of his life, be:
1) given a monthly pension equal to 50 percent of the salary of
the President of the Republic;
2) provided with vacation residence and services, as well as
protection and transport. The number of persons providing
assistance, as well as the amount of protection and means of
transport shall be established by the Government of the Republic
of Lithuania.
Burial costs for Presidents of the Republic shall be covered
by the State.
ALGIRDAS BRAZAUSKAS
Acting President
Republic of Lithuania
Vilnius
26 January 1993
No.I-56