The list includes historian Alfredas Bumblauskas, journalists Rimvydas Valatka and Rolandas Barysas, lawyer Rolandas Valiūnas and businessman Arvydas Avulis. According to surveys conducted by the magazine Reitingai, they are some of the most influential figures in Lithuania.
Journalists have found out from archival documents that Bumblauskas became a member of the Communist Party in 1984. Asked why he had not spoken about this publicly, the historian said that nobody inquired. He said to have quit the party in 1989.
Meanwhile, the other aforementioned people joined the Communist Party later, just before Lithuania declared its independence from the Soviet Union.
Political commentator Valatka joined the Communist Party in July 1989. He indicated this in public documents in the past and said to have cut ties with the party in March 1990. Lithuania declared its independence on 11 March 1990.
Archival documents show that Barysas, editor-in-chief of business news publication Verslo žinios, joined the Communist Party in October 1989. He denied this and wondered if the discovered files might have been forged. He also denied having been issued the party’s card.
Valiūnas, managing partner of law firm Ellex Valiunas, became a member of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in December 1988 as a student. He did not comment about his biography to journalists.
Documents show that Avulis, now owner of real estate development company Hanner Group, joined the Communist Party in August 1988. He told 15min.lt that he is a businessman and would not comment about “political intrigues”.
As reported earlier, it transpired in spring 2023 that President Gitanas Nausėda had applied to join the Communist Party of the Soviet Union in 1988 but concealed this in his biography later. When this information surfaced, the president said that joining the Communist Party was a mistake of his youth.
15min.lt later published information about 20 incumbent MPs who had been members of the Communist Party but did not indicate this in their biographies.