Vilnius - Lithuania's President Valdas Adamkus did as expected Thursday and named Andrius Kubilius as his choice to be the next prime minister of Lithuania. An official statement released by Adamkus' office said: "Acting pursuant to Article 84(8) of the Constitution... President Valdas Adamkus has signed a decree proposing the Seimas (Lithuanian parliament) to consider the candidature of Andrius Kubilius to the position of the prime minister of the Republic of Lithuania."
Kubilius' Homeland Union-Christian Democrats political party emerged from an October general election as the largest single party and since then has put together a centre-right coalition that will form the next government once a series of constitutional formalities, including today's decree, has been completed.
The first sitting of the new Lithuanian parliament took place on Monday afternoon and voted in one of Kubilius' coalition partners, Arunas Valinskas of the Rising Nation party, as parliamentary speaker.
A formal coalition agreement was signed on Monday morning by Kubilius and Valinskas plus the leaders of the Liberal Movement and the Liberal and Center Union. The centre-right grouping vowed to get Lithuania's finances in order by making big cuts in government spending and promoting entrepreneurship.
The coalition also gave itself a name. It will be known as the "Coalition of Changes" but in one of the many quirks of the Lithuanian political system, it will not formally take power until first the government itself and then Kubilius' candidature have been rubber-stamped by parliament.
Until that process is complete, which is likely to take more than a week, the outgoing government of Gediminas Kirkilas will continue in a caretaker capacity.
