Leiputė says Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė is struggling to integrate into party

Orinta Leiputė, leader of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s parliamentary group, says Laura Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė is finding it difficult to integrate into the party. Leiputė made the remarks on Žinių radijas, LRT reported.

“It is painful to read headlines like that, because I think it is absolutely untrue and perhaps reflects a lack of political experience,” Leiputė said. She added that she understood Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė’s grievances, describing her as a new party member with whom she had had little contact.

Leiputė said Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė took little part in the parliamentary group’s work, so other members rarely saw her. She said the group valued her as both an athlete and a member, but added that “a lot depends on the person themselves” when it comes to fitting in.

In an earlier interview with the Delfi news portal, Asadauskaitė-Zadneprovskienė said the party was full of intrigue, lies and behind-the-scenes manoeuvring. She has also expressed disappointment with party leader and Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius since she was removed as chair of the parliament’s Committee on Youth and Sports Affairs.

Sinkevičius has said he would seek to keep her in the Social Democratic parliamentary group, but that if she chose to leave, they should part on good terms. Social Democrat Algimantas Radvila replaced her as committee chair. Sinkevičius said the change followed criticism of the committee’s pace of work and delays to sports-related legislation, including feedback from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport.