Lithuanian Democrats deny involvement in alleged Paluckas-Skvernelis immunity negotiations

The Democratic Union has not participated in any discussions with Social Democrats regarding votes to strip parliamentary immunity, acting party leader Virginijus Sinkevičius stated Thursday, rejecting claims of backroom negotiations between former Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis and ex-“For the Sake of Lithuania” chairman Gintautas Paluckas.

Sinkevičius addressed the allegations in a Facebook post after civic activist Skirmantas Malinauskas suggested on the politika.lt broadcast that Paluckas and Skvernelis were coordinating votes to preserve their legal immunity. “Certain opinions in the public sphere seem to imply that the Democratic Union could engage in negotiations with the Social Democrats on how to vote in proceedings to remove a politician’s legal immunity. This is not the case,” Sinkevičius wrote.

He emphasised that the party “has never participated in such processes” and that “there are no, nor have there ever been, any considerations of such possibilities.”

Malinauskas had earlier claimed that sources within the Social Democratic Party indicated Paluckas and Skvernelis were arranging how to vote in a potential secret ballot to avoid mutual accountability and retain their parliamentary immunity. “I have little doubt that Paluckas understands that accusations could come his way as well, given those already levelled at his wife. If that happens, it would be a disgrace,” Malinauskas said.