Olekas backs Meškauskaitė’s appointment to LRT council

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas said he saw no reason to criticise lawyer Liudvika Meškauskaitė, whom President Gitanas Nausėda appointed to the council of Lithuania’s public broadcaster, LRT reported.

“I really have no need to criticise her, because I believe she is someone with experience in this field and may add value by helping solve problems or identifying issues that need to be addressed,” Olekas told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday.

He described Meškauskaitė as an experienced specialist, saying she was a lawyer specialising in media law.

“I have not had much contact with her, but as far as I know, Meškauskaitė is an experienced attorney specialising in the media. I believe her experience could be useful,” Olekas said.

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, leader of the Conservatives, said he would have chosen a different candidate if he had been in the president’s position. He also said discussions should resume on depoliticising the LRT council.

“We have also proposed, during the reform and discussion processes, that depoliticisation is needed and that the LRT council should include more professionals and experts. At this point, under the law, I do not question the president’s right to make this appointment. But if I had been in his place, I probably would have chosen a different candidate,” Kasčiūnas told reporters.

He said the decision had led to criticism that was dividing society and could further politicise the LRT council.

Nausėda signed a decree on Monday appointing Meškauskaitė after Giedrius Jucevičius resigned from the council. The president had also considered lawyer Vytis Turonis for the position.

Meškauskaitė specialises in media, human rights, constitutional, civil and criminal law. She is also an associate professor at Vilnius University and Mykolas Romeris University and is active in civic affairs. In 2004, she received the medal of the Order of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Gediminas.

Her appointment has drawn criticism from some media representatives and politicians. Liberal Movement leader Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen has also said the candidates considered by the president showed that Lithuania needed to return to discussions about depoliticising the public broadcaster’s council.