Lietuva In Brief
The Baltic Times; July 8 2004
President-elect Valdas Adamkus unveiled key appointments to his administration this week. Ambassador to Italy Edminas Bagdonas will become head of the foreign policy group, while high-profile academic Toma Birmontiene (photo) will become presidential legal adviser and Vilniaus Bankas consultant Gitanas Nauseda will head the economic advisory group. Adamkus will be sworn in on July 12.
The Central Election Committee rejected a request from Kazimiera Prunskiene (photo), who lost to Adamkus in the June 27 presidential election, for a vote recount. Prunskiene withdrew a legal appeal to annul the results of the election based on charges of ballot box stuffing in Kaunas, one of Adamkus' largest bases of support.
The Prosecutor General's Office began preparations to strip a number of MPs of their legal immunity in relation to possible corruption investigations. The Special Investigation Service revealed in June that it was probing a group of five parliamentarians for possible bribery in exchange for legislation favorable to undisclosed companies. Prosecutors are expected to disclose the names of parliamentarians under investigation in mid-July.