Red World: Lithuania: Communism "banned," "ex"-communists dominate leftist parties, FSB/SVR infiltrates rightist parties

Pictured here: Former Prime Minister/ President of Lithuania Rolandas Paksas, impeached for ties with Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR/KGB).

Republic of Lithuania
Constituent republic of USSR: August 3, 1940-March 11, 1990
Previous name: Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, July 21, 1940-March 11, 1990
Type of state: “Post”-communist “multiparty” state under covert control of restored/continuing CPSU
Neo-communist renewal: “Collapse of communism,” 1991
Communist government:
1) Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats ("right-wing" faction of communist front Sąjūdis, infiltrated by SVR/KGB), in coalition with Liberal and Centre Union (infiltrated by SVR/KGB), National Resurrection Party, and Liberal Movement: 2008-present
2) Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (“ex”-communist, formerly Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party): 2001-2008
3) Homeland Union-Conservatives ("right-wing" faction of communist front Sąjūdis, infiltrated by SVR/KGB): 1996-2001
4) Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party (“ex”-communist): 1992-1996
5) Lithuanian Reform Movement (also known as Sąjūdis, communist front) with support from Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party (“ex”-communist) and Lithuanian Christian Democrats: 1990-1992
6) Communist Party of Lithuania (Lithuanian section of CPSU), sole legal party: 1940-1990
7) Lithuanian-Belorussian Soviet Socialist Republic, unrecognized government under leadership of Communist Party (Bolsheviks) of Lithuania and Belorussia, revolutionary leaders Vincas Mickevičius-Kapsukas and Kazimierz Cichowski, and Soviet military occupation: 1919
Communist Bloc membership: Community of Democratic Choice, European Union
Socialist International presence: Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (“ex”-communist)
Ethnic Russian composition: 6.3%
Presidents of “post”-communist Lithuania:
1) Valdas Adamkus (nonpartisan, ex-US citizen; twice vetoed lustration law exposing KGB agents/ collaborators; strongly supported by Algirdas Brazauskas (“ex”-CPSU) in 1998 presidential election): July 12, 2004-present
2) Artūras Paulauskas (New Union (Social Liberals); Deputy Prosecutor General, Lithuanian SSR): April 6-July 12, 2004 (acting)
3) Rolandas Paksas (SVR/KGB-controlled politician; Order and Justice (Liberal Democrats)): February 26, 2003-April 6, 2004 (impeached)
4) Valdas Adamkus (nonpartisan, ex-US citizen; twice vetoed lustration law exposing KGB agents/ collaborators; strongly supported by Algirdas Brazauskas (“ex”-CPSU) in 1998 presidential election): February 26, 1998-February 25, 2003
5) Algirdas Brazauskas (“ex”-CPSU, "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party/Social Democratic Party of Lithuania): November 25, 1992-February 25, 1993 (acting), February 25, 1993-February 25, 1998
6) Vytautas Landsbergis (non-communist leader of communist front Sąjūdis): March 11, 1990-November 25, 1992
Prime ministers of “post”-communist Lithuania:
1) Andrius Kubilius (communist front Sąjūdis; Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, infiltrated by SVR/KGB): December 9, 2008-present
2) Gediminas Kirkilas (“ex”-CPSU, "ex"-communist Social Democratic Party of Lithuania): July 4, 2006-December 9, 2008
3) Zigmantas Balčytis (ex-Komsomol, "ex"-communist Social Democratic Party of Lithuania): June 1-July 4, 2006 (acting)
4) Algirdas Brazauskas (“ex”-CPSU, "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party/Social Democratic Party of Lithuania): July 3, 2001-June 1, 2006
5) Eugenijus Gentvilas (Lithuanian Liberal Union, infiltrated by SVR/KGB): June 20-July 3, 2001 (acting)
6) Rolandas Paksas (SVR/KGB-controlled politician, Lithuanian Liberal Union): October 26, 2000-June 20, 2001
7) Andrius Kubilius (communist front Sąjūdis; Homeland Union-Conservatives, infiltrated by SVR/KGB): November 3, 1999-October 26, 2000
8) Irena Degutiene (Homeland Union-Conservatives, infiltrated by SVR/KGB): October 27-November 3, 1999 (acting)
9) Rolandas Paksas (SVR/KGB-controlled politician, Homeland Union-Conservatives): May 18-October 27, 1999
10) Irena Degutiene (Homeland Union-Conservatives, infiltrated by SVR/KGB): May 4-18, 1999 (acting)
11) Gediminas Vagnorius (Homeland Union-Conservatives, infiltrated by SVR/KGB): February 15, 1996-May 4, 1999
12) Laurynas Stankevičius ("ex"-CPSU, "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party): February 15-November 27, 1996
13) Adolfas Šleževičius ("ex"-CPSU, "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party): March 10, 1993-February 15, 1996
14) Bronislovas Lubys ("ex"-CPSU, nonpartisan): December 2, 1992-March 10, 1993
15) Aleksandras Abišala (communist front Sąjūdis with support from "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party): July 21-December 2, 1992
16) Gediminas Vagnorius (communist front Sąjūdis with support from "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party): January 13, 1991-July 21, 1992
17) Albertas Šimėnas (communist front Sąjūdis with support from "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party): January 10-13, 1991
18) Kazimira Prunskienė (alleged KGB collaborationist; communist front Sąjūdis with support from "ex"-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party and Lithuanian Christian Democrats): March 11-17, 1990 (acting), March 17, 1990-January 10, 1991

In September 2006 Minister of Foreign Affairs Petras Vaitekunas defended the secretary of his ministry, Albinas Januska, against accusations, advanced by the mass media, of collusion with Russia’s security and intelligence services. According to the online paper Penki kontinentai, Januska allegedly conspired with the Deputy Director of the Lithuanian Security Department (VSD), Darius Jurgeliavicius, to “exile" security service officer Vytautas Pociunas to Belarus. In November 2006 officers of the VSD allegedly approached journalists for the purpose of disseminating stories that would discredit a parliamentary deputy of the ruling conservative-led coalition, Jurgis Razmas. Razmas had demanded that an independent committee be established to investigate the “unhealthy situation” in the Lithuanian security services. VSD agents reportedly threatened journalists who refused to cooperate.

An ongoing issue, the current Prime Minister of Lithuania Gediminas Kirkilas (“ex”-CPSU) is opposed to subordinating the VSD to the oversight of parliament and replacing the organization’s leadership, including VSD head Arvidas Pocius (“ex”-KGB). Between 2000 and June 1, 2006 Antanas Valionis (captain in KGB reserves) was former Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas’ (“ex”-CPSU) Minister of Foreign Affairs. Parliament of “post”-communist Lithuania: Unicameral 141-seat Seimas Soviet-era “parliament”: Supreme Soviet (Council); provisional parliament until 1992

Communist parties of “post”-communist Lithuania:
1) Communist Party of Lithuania (CPL): In December 1989 the “reformists” in the CPL defected from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to form the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party, while the smaller “hardline” faction maintained a separate existence as the CPL. The CPL has been “banned” since August 1991, like other openly communist parties in the Baltic states, and associates with the UCP-CPSU.
Crypto-communist parties of “post”-communist Lithuania:
1) Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats: This party was founded in May 1993 by the “right wing” of the Lithuanian Reform Movement (Sąjūdis), led by the transitional national leader Vytautas Landsbergis. Its current leader is former Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius. Former President of Lithuania Rolandas Paksas, who was impeached in 2004 for his ties with Russia’s security and intelligence services, and mafia, was a member of this party. Hence, it would not be unreasonable to describe Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats--known as Homeland Union-Conservatives until 2008--as an SVR/KGB-infiltrated party.
2) Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party (LDDP): The defunct LDDP was founded in 1990 by the larger “reformist” faction of the old Communist Party of Lithuania. In 2001 the LDDP merged with the Lithuanian Social-Democratic Party to form the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania.
3) Lithuanian Reform Movement (Sąjūdis): Sąjūdis was the communist front that led the struggle for Lithuanian independence in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was established on June 3, 1988 under the leadership of Vytautas Landsbergis. Kazimira Prunskienė, first prime minister of “post”-communist Lithuania and alleged KGB collaborationist, was a co-founder. In the beginning, Sąjūdis’ goal was to establish the Autonomous Republic of Lithuania and later, to form an independent state. At a meeting at the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences on June 3, 1988, 17 communist and 18 non-communist intellectuals formed the Sąjūdis Initiative Group to support Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's programs of glasnost, democratization, and perestroika. On June 24 the first large assembly of Sąjūdis occurred. Before departing for Moscow, delegates to the 19th All-Union Conference of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union were instructed about Sąjūdis’ objectives.
4) Lithuanian Socialist Party: This party was founded in 1994 as a split from the “ex”-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party and operates under the leadership of Mondaugas Stakvilevicius.
5) Order and Justice: Founded in 2002 as the Liberal Democratic Party by Rolandas Paksas, who later became president of Lithuania, Order and Justice is accused of ultranationalism and neofascism. Paksas was impeached in April 2004. The impeachment terminated a five-month investigation in which the Lithuanian Security Department (VSD) provided parliamentarians with a report linking President Paksas and his closest advisers to Russia’s security and intelligence services, and mafia. Among some of Paksas’ specific transgressions was bestowing Russian “businessman” Yuri Borisov with Lithuanian citizenship as a reward for his financial support during the 2002-2003 presidential election campaign. The VSD report specified Borisov’s Russian mafia connections.
6) Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSP): The LSP was formed in 2001 by a merger of the “ex”-communist Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party and Lithuanian Social-Democratic Party, which was founded in 1989 under the communist regime of the Lithuanian SSR.
Russian military presence: The Russian Armed Forces withdrew from Lithuania on August 31, 1993, one year before they withdrew from the other Baltic states. Between 1992 and 1995, the Russian Air Force violated Lithuanian air space more than 5,300 times. In September 2005 a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter, en route to Kaliningrad, crashed in Lithuania, prompting the government of the Baltic state to initially express suspicions that Moscow had staged the incident, possibly to test NATO air defenses. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined NATO on March 29, 2004.