The Labour Party has announced that it will join forces with the Lithuanian Christian Democracy Party led by MP Mindaugas Puidokas and the Samogitian Paryt (Žemaičių partija) led by Irena Stražinskaitė-Glinskienė. Their coalition is called the Peace Coalition.
The parties have signed a coalition agreement and urge other movements and well-known public figures to join them.
As reported, Uspaskich earlier suspended his membership in the Labour Party after law enforcement raided its headquarters in March. The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced that it is conducting a pre-trial investigation into a suspected fraud involving a former assistant of a Lithuanian member of the European Parliament.
Then Labour Party’s Chairman Andrius Mazuronis stepped down in June after he polled poorly in the presidential election and the party did not do well in European elections.
A number of other MPs departed from the party several months ago as well. Labour Party’s political group collapsed in mid-June after MP Valdemaras Valkiūnas withdrew from it.
Amid all these challenges, founder of the Labour Party and its honorary chairman Uspaskich was elected on 2 July to lead the party once again and his membership was restored.