Piliečių dalyvavimas leidžiant įstatymus ; The role of citizens in the legislative process

Abstract

(such draft laws are submitted to by the President). In practice, however, citizens' legislative initiatives are related to politicians' rather than citizens' initiatives. Citizens' legislative initiative most often used to be employed not so much for the sake of promoting the idea of lawmaking but for making use of citizens' signatures for exerting political pressure on the Seimas ruling majority by opposition powers and communicating a certain message to the electorate. Out of seven initiatives, one brought some results. Exercising the right of petition at the Seimas is in fact an indirect legislative initiative. It diminishes the significance of the Constitutional right of 50.000 citizens' initiative. This right does not make any practical influence: so far only two laws have been passed on the basis of the problems addressed in petitions.