Lithuanian Party of the Economy

Lithuanian Party of the Economy
Lietuvos ūkio partija
LeaderKlemensas Šeputis
FoundedOctober 14, 1995 (1995-10-14)
DissolvedSeptember 26, 2011 (2011-09-26)
Merged intoNew Union (Social Liberals)
HeadquartersSavanorių pr. 7, Vilnius
IdeologyBusiness interests
Economic reform
Economic nationalism

The Lithuanian Party of the Economy (Lithuanian: Lietuvos ūkio partija) was a minor political party in Lithuania founded in 1995, largely at the initiative of the Lithuanian business community.[1] After winning no seats in the 1996 Lithuanian parliamentary election and only five seats in the 1997 municipal elections, it ceased activity and was disbanded in 2011.

History

The party was founded on 14 October 1995. Its chairman Klemensas Šeputis was the vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists (Lithuanian: Lietuvos pramonininkų konfederacija), the largest business professional association in Lithuania, and an advisor to Minister of Economy Albertas Šimėnas in 1992, before his resignation due to conflict over economic policy.[2] Among the party's founders and candidates in the 1996 parliamentary election were Aleksas Bružas, chairman of the Lithuanian Education Employees' Trade Union, Juozas Gaidamavičius, vice-president of business conglomerate "Vikonda", Alfredas Pekeliūnas, chairman of the pork producer Krekenavos Agrofirma and the Lithuanian Pig Growers' Association, Romualdas Rudzys, and other members of the Lithuanian business community.[3]

It received 1.20% of the vote in the 1996 parliamentary election and did not win a single seat.[4] In the 1997 local elections, it won five seats in municipal councils, out of a total of 1473 throughout the country.[5] It did not contest any elections afterwards. In 2011, the party was liquidated.[6]

Program

The party's main concerns were economic reforms and creating a more rational and independent economic system. It supported establishing a long-term foreign trade strategy geared towards expansion of exports, granting priority to local businesses in government procurement, mandating that at least 50 percent of external debt is spent on development of local industry, merging ministries and reducing their number of employees, and establishing an import monopoly for petroleum products, alcohol and tobacco products.[7] It proposed turning Lithuania into a presidential republic, reducing the number of Seimas members and establishing a jury system.[8] Some political scientists have described it as a "social democratic" party.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Lietuvos ūkio partija". Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija (in Lithuanian).
  2. ^ "Klemensas ŠEPUTIS". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 1996.
  3. ^ "Lietuvos ūkio partija". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 1996.
  4. ^ "Rinkimų rezultatai daugiamandatėje rinkimų apygardoje". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 1996.
  5. ^ "Bendras partijų ir politinių organizacijų gautų mandatų skaičius". Supreme Electoral Commission of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). 1997.
  6. ^ "Teisingumo ministerija siūlys pataisas, kurios leistų greičiau likviduoti "mirusias" partijas". 15min.lt (in Lithuanian). 1 April 2011.
  7. ^ "Partijų, politinių organizacijų, jų koalicijų rinkiminės programos". Lietuvos aidas. No. 204. 17 October 1996.
  8. ^ "Panoramos archyvai. "Ūkio partijos" steigiamasis". LRT (in Lithuanian). 14 October 1995.
  9. ^ Bugajski, Janusz (10 September 2020). Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-communist Era: A Guide to Politics in the Post-communist Era. Routledge. p. 81. ISBN 978-1-000-16135-9.