Amendments to the law were submitted by Member of Parliament Petras Grazulis of the Order and Justice Party.
According to Grazulis, the European Court of Human Rights in its 6 January 2011 ruling in the case Paksas v. Lithuania found that the lifelong prohibition to be elected as an MP after being removed from office or deprived of the MP's mandate as a result of impeachment is disproportionate and contradicts the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
"By joining the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the Republic of Lithuania committed to eliminate any inconsistencies between the Convention and the national legislation. If the national legislation contradicts the Convention, it means human rights are violated," says Grazulis.
The United Nations Human Rights Committee stated that the prohibition violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which guarantees citizens' rights to "vote and to be elected at genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage."
