Lithuanian parliament speaker to gain an eighth deputy

The speaker of Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, will now have eight deputies instead of seven after lawmakers approved amendments to the body’s statutes on Tuesday, state news agency BNS reports.

The changes passed with 72 votes in favour, six against, and 22 abstentions. Speaker Juozas Olekas had previously stated that the additional deputy position would be allocated to an opposition representative to foster more cooperative work within the Seimas.

The new deputy is expected to come from the Democratic faction *For the Sake of Lithuania*. Currently, the seven deputy speaker roles are held by members of the Social Democratic Party, *Nemuno Aušra*, the Farmers and Greens Union, the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, and the Liberal Movement.