Impeachment of Rolandas Paksas
| Impeachment of Rolandas Paksas | |
|---|---|
| Accused | Rolandas Paksas President of Lithuania |
| Date | 23 December 2003 – 6 April 2004 |
| Outcome |
|
| Charges |
|
| Voting in the Seimas | |
| Vote to open impeachment process | |
| Votes in favor | 94 / 141 (66.67%)
|
| Votes against | 11 / 141 (7.8%)
|
| Not voting | 10 / 141 (7.09%)
|
| Result |
|
| Vote to remove Paskas from office | |
| Votes in favor | 89 / 135 (65.93%)
|
| Votes against | 41 / 135 (30.37%)
|
| Not voting | 5 / 135 (3.7%)
|
| Result | Approved, early election triggered |
| Paksas was permanently banned from holding any future public office. | |
On 23 December 2003, the Seimas voted to initiate impeachment proceedings against President Rolandas Paksas. This action was taken following allegations of serious constitutional violations, including granting Lithuanian citizenship to a major campaign donor, Yuri Borisov, under questionable circumstances, leaking state secrets, and interfering in private business matters.
The case was referred to the Constitutional Court of Lithuania, which ruled on 31 March 2004 that Paksas had violated the Constitution and his oath of office. Following this decision, the Seimas convened on 6 April 2004 to vote on Paksas's removal, achieving the required three-fifths majority to impeach him, making Paksas the first European head of state to be removed via impeachment.
During the impeachment proceedings, the role of acting president was assumed by the Speaker of the Seimas, Artūras Paulauskas, pending the election of a new president.