Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission rejects referendum initiative on military polygon due to unclear wording

The Central Electoral Commission (VRK) of Lithuania has refused to register an initiative group seeking to hold a referendum on the need for a new military polygon in the country, citing an unclear question formulation, LRT reports.

The group proposed the referendum question: “Is a new military polygon needed in the Republic of Lithuania?” The initiative was submitted by a group of citizens, represented in the VRK meeting by Zigmas Vaišvila, Nendrė Černiauskienė, Egidijus Čibirauskas, and Gediminas Ustinavičius.

In their application, the group noted that the Seimas (parliament) adopted a law on April 23 to establish a new military polygon and training area, emphasizing its importance for national security and defense.

The VRK justified its decision by referencing a 2014 Constitutional Court ruling, which states that referendum questions on key state and national issues must be clear and unambiguous to accurately reflect the will of the people. The commission argued that the proposed question did not meet this standard, as it failed to specify what exact issue voters would be deciding on and what actions the Seimas would need to consider based on the results.

The VRK concluded that the question could mislead voters about the nature of the decision and the implications of the referendum outcome. As a result, the commission ruled that the initiative did not comply with the constitutional requirements for referendums and rejected its registration.

Earlier this year, the Seimas approved the establishment of the Kapčiamiestis polygon, with training exercises expected to begin in 2028 and shooting ranges to be installed by 2030.