Arturas Paulauskas
Encyclopedia
Artūras Paulauskas is a Lithuania
n politician. He was the Speaker of Seimas
, the parliament
of Lithuania, from 2000 to 2006, and he served as Acting President of Lithuania from 6 April 2004 to 12 July 2004.
with a degree in law
in 1976. He then worked as an investigator and a prosecutor. He was Deputy Prosecutor General of Lithuania from 1987 to 1990 and Prosecutor General of Lithuania from 1990 to 1995. He was again Deputy Prosecutor General from 1995 to 1997 and was engaged in private legal practice from 1997 to 2000.
and narrowly lost in the runoff to Valdas Adamkus
, with Paulauskas gaining 49.6% of vote and Adamkus gaining 50.4%. He then established The New Union (Social Liberals) party, becoming its Chairman on 25 April 1998. This party gained 19.6% of vote in the 2000 parliamentary election
. Following this election, he became the Speaker of Seimas on 19 October 2000.
Following the impeachment of President Rolandas Paksas
on 6 April 2004, Paulauskas served as acting President of Lithuania until early elections were held and a new President, Valdas Adamkus, was sworn on 12 July 2004.
On 11 April 2006, Paulauskas was removed from office as Speaker by 94 votes (only 11 parliamentarians voted against it). His party New Union (Social Liberals) did not participate in the election. Paulauskas was succeeded by Viktoras Muntianas
.
Paulauskas was named as the candidate for the post of Minister of Environment by Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas
on 30 January 2008. As Minister, he made a May 2008 statement at a meeting of the United Nations
Commission on Sustainable Development supporting the use of renewable energy
resources in Lithuania.
website. Personal website
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
n politician. He was the Speaker of Seimas
Seimas
The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation...
, the parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
of Lithuania, from 2000 to 2006, and he served as Acting President of Lithuania from 6 April 2004 to 12 July 2004.
Early career
Artūras Paulauskas graduated from Vilnius UniversityVilnius University
Vilnius University is the oldest university in the Baltic states and one of the oldest in Eastern Europe. It is also the largest university in Lithuania....
with a degree in law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in 1976. He then worked as an investigator and a prosecutor. He was Deputy Prosecutor General of Lithuania from 1987 to 1990 and Prosecutor General of Lithuania from 1990 to 1995. He was again Deputy Prosecutor General from 1995 to 1997 and was engaged in private legal practice from 1997 to 2000.
Political career
Artūras Paulauskas entered politics by running for President of Lithuania in the 1997-1998 elections. He was supported by outgoing President Algirdas BrazauskasAlgirdas Brazauskas
Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas was the first President of a newly independent post-Soviet Union Lithuania from 1993 to 1998 and Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006....
and narrowly lost in the runoff to Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus
Valdas Adamkus was President of Lithuania from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009.In Lithuania, the President's tenure lasts for five years; Adamkus' first term in office began on February 26, 1998 and ended on February 28, 2003, following his defeat by Rolandas Paksas in the next...
, with Paulauskas gaining 49.6% of vote and Adamkus gaining 50.4%. He then established The New Union (Social Liberals) party, becoming its Chairman on 25 April 1998. This party gained 19.6% of vote in the 2000 parliamentary election
Lithuanian parliamentary election, 2000
More than 58 per cent of the 2.6 million eligible voters turned out in the 8 October 2000 Lithuanian parliamentary election to choose from among the 1,180 candidates contesting the 70 seats allocated in the Seimas via proportional representation lists, and some 700 candidates competing for the 71...
. Following this election, he became the Speaker of Seimas on 19 October 2000.
Following the impeachment of President Rolandas Paksas
Rolandas Paksas
Rolandas Paksas is a Lithuanian politician who was President of Lithuania from 2003 to 2004. He was previously Prime Minister of Lithuania in 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001, and he also served as Mayor of Vilnius from 1997 to 1999 and again from 2000 to 2001...
on 6 April 2004, Paulauskas served as acting President of Lithuania until early elections were held and a new President, Valdas Adamkus, was sworn on 12 July 2004.
On 11 April 2006, Paulauskas was removed from office as Speaker by 94 votes (only 11 parliamentarians voted against it). His party New Union (Social Liberals) did not participate in the election. Paulauskas was succeeded by Viktoras Muntianas
Viktoras Muntianas
Viktoras Muntianas is a Lithuanian politician and former Speaker of the Seimas. In 1968 he finished school in Marijampolė. In 1973 he enrolled in the Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute, completing his studies in 1978. Between 1986 and 1990 he was first deputy of Kėdainiai municipality chairman...
.
Paulauskas was named as the candidate for the post of Minister of Environment by Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas
Gediminas Kirkilas
Gediminas Kirkilas is a former Prime Minister of Lithuania . He was appointed on 4 July 2006 after Zigmantas Balčytis, the provisional Prime Minister, failed to gather the required support from the Seimas. Kirkilas managed to get the necessary support from the Seimas on 4 July 2006...
on 30 January 2008. As Minister, he made a May 2008 statement at a meeting of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Commission on Sustainable Development supporting the use of renewable energy
Renewable energy
Renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable . About 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% coming from traditional biomass, which is mainly used for heating, and 3.4% from...
resources in Lithuania.
External links
Biography from SeimasSeimas
The Seimas is the unicameral Lithuanian parliament. It has 141 members that are elected for a four-year term. About half of the members of this legislative body are elected in individual constituencies , and the other half are elected by nationwide vote according to proportional representation...
website. Personal website