Rolandas Paksas (pronunciation (help· info)) (born 10 June 1956 in Telšiai, Lithuania) is a well known politician in Lithuania and currently heads the Liberal Democrats Party in Lithuania. He was the President of the Republic of Lithuania from February 26, 2003 to April 6, 2004 when he was successfully impeached. He still remains the only European head of state to have been impeached. Image File history File links Rolandas_Paksas. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Location Ethnographic region Samogitia County TelÅ¡iai County Municipality TelÅ¡iai district municipality Elderate TelÅ¡iai town elderate Number of elderates Coordinates {{{coordinates}}} General information Capital of Samogitia (unofficial) TelÅ¡iai County TelÅ¡iai district municipality TelÅ¡iai town elderate TelÅ¡iai rural elderate Population (rank) 31,460 in 2001... Early Lithuania The Grand Duchy of Lithuania Title: Kunigaikštis or Didysis Kunigaikštis (The Great Duke in Lithuanian) Mindaugas, 1238-1263 also crowned as a King Treniota, 1263-1264 Vaišvilkas (Vaišelga, Vaishyalga, Vaišalgas), 1264-1267 Švarnas (Svarnas, Shvarno), 1267-1269 Traidenis, 1269-1281 Daumantas, 1281-1285 Butigeidis, 1285-1291 Butvydas, 1291... February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Early life

Rolandas Paksas was the only child of Feliksas and Elena Paksas.

In 1974, he graduated Žemaitės Secondary School in Telšiai. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ...

In 1979, he graduated Vilnius Civil Engineering Institute (now Vilnius Gediminas Technical University) with a degree in Industrial and Civil Engineering. This page refers to the year 1979. ... Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Lithuanian: Vilniaus Gedimino Technikos Universitetas) or VGTU is one of the two technical universities in Lithuania. ...

From 1979 to 1985 he worked as a pilot instructor. This page refers to the year 1979. ... This article is about the year. ...

From 1985 to 1992 he worked as Director of the Darius and Girėnas Flying Club in Vilnius. This article is about the year. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... Location Ethnographic region DzÅ«kija County Vilnius County Municipality Vilnius city municipality Elderate Number of elderates 20 Coordinates General information Capital of Lithuania Vilnius County Vilnius city municipality Vilnius district municipality Population (rank) 540,318 in 2005 (1st) First mentioned 1323 Granted city rights 1387 Vilnius ( (help· info), Belarusian: , Polish...

In 1984, he graduated Leningrad Civil Aviation Academy as an engineer pilot. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Saint Petersburg (Russian: Санкт-Петербу́рг, English transliteration: Sankt-Peterburg), colloquially known as Питер (transliterated Piter), formerly known as Leningrad (Ленингра́д, 1924–1991) and Petrograd (Петрогра́д, 1914–1924), is a city located in Northwestern Russia on the delta of the river Neva at the east end of the Gulf of Finland...

During this period, he competed in aerobatics competitions. He won the aerobatics championship in Lithuania several times, the championship of the Soviet Union twice and was the winner of international aerobatics competitions. Soon after aircraft were invented, pilots realised that they could be used as part of a flying circus to entertain people or impress others in what was termed aerobatics. ... Soon after aircraft were invented, pilots realised that they could be used as part of a flying circus to entertain people or impress others in what was termed aerobatics. ...

From 1992 to 1997 Rolandas Paksas was the President of the "Restako" construction company. 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Political career

Paksas is possibly the most controversial politician in the modern history of Lithuania.

On April 11, 1997, Rolandas Paksas was elected to Vilnius City Council and became the Mayor of the Vilnius city municipality. He is credited for helping to reconstruct the Vilnius Old Town that was neglected by the Lithuanian SSR and is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site. As early as August 1998, he was mentioned in Verslo Žinios ("Business News") as a possible candidate to replace Prime Minister of Lithuania Gediminas Vagnorius if he was to lose a possible vote of no confidence in the Seimas. In 1998 in a survey published by Lietuvos Rytas he was voted one of the top 5 people of the year. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Map Capital Vilnius Cities Vilnius (542287 people) GrigiÅ¡kÄ—s (11448 people) Mayor ArtÅ«ras Zuokas (Liberal and Center Union) Size 51st place 400,6 km² Population 1st place 553904 people; Population density 7th place 1382,7/km² Telephone code 5 Official website http://www. ... Vilnius Old Town: Ausros Vartu street The Old Town of Vilnius (Lithuanian: Senamiestis), one of the largest surviving medieval old towns in Eastern Europe, has an area of 3. ... State motto: Visų Å¡alių proletarai, vienykitÄ—s! (Workers of all countries, unite) Official language Lithuanian, Russian (de facto). ... UNESCO logo UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ... A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a specific site (such as a forest, mountain range, lake, desert, building, complex, or city) that has been nominated, and confirmed, for inclusion on the list maintained by the international World Heritage Programme administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. ... The Prime Minister of Lithuania is the head of the executive arm of Lithuanias government, and is chosen by the Lithuanian parliament. ... Gediminas Vagnorius (born 1957) is a Lithuanian political figure. ... A Motion of No Confidence, also called Motion of Non Confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ... Seimas is the Lithuanian parliament. ... Lietuvos Rytas (lit. ...

In May 1999, Vagnorius stepped down and President Valdas Adamkus asked Paksas, as a member of Homeland Union, to become the Prime Minister. The Conservatives had 68 of the Seimas' 138 seats and were part of an 81-member coalition with the Lithuanian Christian Democrats. He had little influence in his party, had no experience at high-level politics and was seen more like a compromise figure. He did not accept the post immediately as he joked that his bodyguards would not fit into his stunt plane. President Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus (born Valdemaras Adamkevičius on November 3, 1926) is the current President of the Republic of Lithuania. ... The Homeland Union (Lithuanian Conservatives) (Lithuanian: Tėvynės sąjunga (Lietuvos konservatoriai)), or TS-LK, is a political party in Lithuania. ... The Lithuanian Christian Democrats (Lietuvos Krikščionys Demokratai) is a christian-democratic political party in Lithuania. ...

In June 1999, he became Prime Minister, heading the ninth Government after independence. Five months later, he resigned because of a disagreement over the sale of Mazeikiu Nafta, the Lithuanian oil processing company to American oil company Williams Companies. After his resignation, he became an Adviser to the President of Lithuania and Plenipotentiary of the President for Special Assignments. 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Mazeikiu Nafta is the only oil refinery and oil-processing plant in the Baltic States, which is based in Lithuania. ... The Williams Companies, Inc. ...

In April 2000, he became the Mayor of the Vilnius city municipality again. Then, from November 2000 to June 2001, he was the Prime Minister in the eleventh Cabinet. After his government coalition began falling apart, he became the leader of the opposition in the Seimas. 2000 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December This is a timeline for events in November, 2000. ... 2001 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December Events: June 5-June 9 - Houston, Texas is devastated by flooding when Tropical Storm Allison dumps 36 inches of rain on the city. ...

In March 2002, Paksas was elected as a chairman of his newly founded Liberal Democratic Party. On January 5, 2003, he was elected President of Lithuania, after a surprise win over the incumbent Valdas Adamkus in a runoff. In the first round of elections, Paksas was the second, with 19.7% of vote but, in the runoff, he gathered 54.9%. 2002 : January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December A timeline of events in the news for March, 2002. ... Liberal Democratic Party or Democratic Liberal Party is the name of dozens of political parties around the world. ... January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... President Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus (born Valdemaras Adamkevičius on November 3, 1926) is the current President of the Republic of Lithuania. ...

On February 26, 2003 his term as a President began. During his term, Rolandas Paksas has kept connections with the Russian mafia, he tried to extort some private companies, like the road construction company Žemaitijos keliai, by putting pressure on their owners. He gave Lithuanian citizenship to Russian Jurij Borisov, who is well known as a gun trader in third world countries, and violated his oath of office by revealing state secrets to Borisov. His connections were later revealed by the Department of Security, which was run by Mečys Laurinkus. In early 2004, the Seimas started impeachment proceedings against him. February 26 is the 57th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Izmailovskaya (Mafia). ... For the Jamaican reggae band, see Third World (band). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with President of the United States oath of office. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ...

On March 31, 2004, the Constitutional Court of Lithuania found him guilty on three charges. The Chief Justice and Associate Justices of Lithuania's Constitutional Court came to a conclusion that Rolandas Paksas committed perjury, thus violating the Constitution of Lithuania by: March 31 is the 90th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (91st in Leap years), with 275 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania defines the legal foundation for all laws passed in the Republic of Lithuania. ...

• Leaking secrets, entrusted to him by the state;
• Illegally rewarding his financial supporter - Borisov - with Lithuanian citizenship;
• Illegally influencing some companies.

The impeachment process affected Paksas and made him mentally strained (see his quotes below).^{[citation needed]}

After the Constitutional Court's ruling, the Seimas effectively removed him from president's office through a secret ballot on April 6, 2004. Seimas is the Lithuanian parliament. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Rolandas Paksas attempted to run for presidency again in the newly-called elections of June 13, 2004. His attempts were effectively ended on May 4, 2004, when - as per Constitutional Court's ruling - an amendment to Lithuania's Election Law was made banning an impeached from ever running again for any public office requiring an oath. This would prevent him from running for either President or Legislative office. June 13 is the 164th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (165th in leap years), with 201 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Apparently, Rolandas Paksas hasn't renounced his political ambitions. In a rare interview with a Lithuania daily, Kauno Diena, on October 27, 2005 Paksas claimed that he is going to become the President of Lithuania once. The journalist, considering the new eleciton law, asked Paksas just how he was going to become a President. Paksas, however, declined to elaborate and commented that he would be a "bad politician" if he went into details. October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ...

He also did not disclose if he has ambitions to become a mayor of Vilnius once again (mayors in Lithuania do not take oaths, exempting them from the ban). Therefore, holding a mayor's office is the only public office Rolandas Paksas can hold under the current laws of Lithuania.^{[citation needed]}

Paksas still remains a very controversial politician in Lithuania. He has a lot of support amongst the poverty-stricken population of Lithuania, mainly elderly and rural people.

Paksas, as Chairman of the Liberal Democrats of Lithuania caused controversy when he announced on January 12, 2006 that he is admitting Audrius Butkevicius to the party. Butkevicius was once Defense Minister and MP who was convicted and served time in jail for taking bribes back in 1998. On the same day, Paksas made another controversial statement, that "Lithuania is in need of revolution".^{[citation needed]} January 12 is the 12th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A defence minister (Commonwealth English) or defense minister (American English) is a cabinet portfolio (position) which regulates the armed forces in a sovereign nation. ...

Legal trouble following impeachment

Paksas was convicted in 2005 by a District Court of Vilnius for disclosing classified information (state secrets) during his time in office as a president of the Republic (after the impeachment was over, and he was removed from office, the prosecution charged him with revealing a state secret to his financial sponsor, the Russian businessman Borisov). The prosecution alleged, that on March 17, 2003 Paksas hinted to Borisov, in one of their private conversations, that the latter's phones are tapped and the authorities are screening his phone calls - the information Paksas earlier received and was briefed on by the head of Lithuania's National Security Department). He was found guilty by the District Court; however, since he was already removed from the office, the Court deemed it unnecessary to impose on him a punishment. It was concluded that albeit guilty, Paksas no longer presents a danger to the State.

However, Paksas appealed to the Supreme Court of Lithuania, arguing that there was no direct evidence to suggest that he leaked a state secret during the time when he served as the President of the Republic. He hired top lawyers of Lithuania, specializing in criminal law, to defend him in front of the Supreme Court panel consisting of seven judges.

The Supreme Court, on December 13, 2005, acquitted Paksas and overturned the verdict of the District Court. The prosecution strongly disliked this ruling but could not appeal against it, as the Supreme Court's rulings are unappealable. Some prominent experts of the constitutional law attacked the Supreme Court's decision claiming that the Court did not apply the Lithuanian Penal Code, and other laws correctly, and did not arrive to sound judgment in its acquittal. This Supreme Court ruling was named by some legal pundits a very "dubious one".^{[citation needed]} December 13 is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Paksas praised the Supreme Court's ruling and announced his plans to fight till the end, his next plan being to attack the Constitutional Court's decision of 2004, which found him guilty of violating the Constitution of the Republic on three counts, and breaking his oath. Paksas assured that he intends to petition the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourgh, as he claimed that the 2004 ruling of the Constitutional Court, and the subsequent decision of the Seimas to remove him from office were unconstitutional. European Court of Human Rights building in Strasbourg The European Court of Human Rights, often referred to informally as the Strasbourg Court, was created to systematise the hearing of human rights complaints from Council of Europe member states. ... Seimas is the Lithuanian parliament. ...

Paksas and his party are devising plans on how to legally annul the Constitutional Court's ruling, because in spite of being acquitted by the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court's ruling - which is the highest court in the land - remains in force, and is a legal obstacle preventing Paksas from occupying a major public office again. Many constitutional law pundits, however, call Paksas' talk about the revocation of the aforementioned 2004 ruling outright nonsense, and assure that rulings of the Constitutional Court are "impenetrable".^{[citation needed]}

Personal information

Rolandas Paksas is married. His wife Laima is an economist and they have two children: daughter Inga (she is married) and son Mindaugas. Paksas' family keeps strong relations with the fortune teller Lena Lolishvili. Mindaugas King of Lithuania Mindaugas monument in Vilnius Mindaugas (approximate English transcription [ˈmın. ... Categories: Stub ...

It was during R. Paksas' short tenure in office that Lithuania became a full member of the NATO (on March 29, 2004). But it was a result of a hard work of his predecessors, though - Algirdas Brazauskas and Valdas Adamkus - that the country joined the bloc. NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, the Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for collective security established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, DC, on 4 April 1949. ... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... Algirdas Brazauskas Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas (born September 22, 1932) is Prime Minister and a former President of Lithuania. ... President Valdas Adamkus Valdas Adamkus (born Valdemaras Adamkevičius on November 3, 1926) is the current President of the Republic of Lithuania. ...

He is known for his colorful statements: the people of Lithuania also remember him for famously uttering "šikau ir tapšnojau" (See below).

He was also known for his involvement with a Georgian fortune-teller, Lena Lolishvilli, who used to heal people with toilet paper.^{[citation needed]}

Famous quotes

• "I have been shitting and tapping" (Šikau ir tapšnojau) — An idiom which means that the speaker could not care less about the possible ramifications of their actions and will do as they please. Paksas used this phrase during a private telephone conversation with one of his aides, who was known to have connections with Russian mafia.
• "I am not going to resign" — He used to repeat this phrase so often during his impeachment procedures that it became famous among Lithuanians.^{[citation needed]}
• "It is a conspiracy" — Another one of Paksas' favorite phrases during the impeachment process.
• "I will be a President for 10 years" — He used to reiterate this belief in public for many months; apparently, it was because of the Georgian clairvoyant's prediction that he is going to be a president for two full terms, that gave him such an outstanding confidence in his future.
• "I am as cool as a Belgian" — In response to a question whether he is worried about the impeachment.
• "It is impossible to breach an oath" — It was his explanation after he was found guilty of perjury.
• "Bye, and have a nice weekend" — Said to journalists after press conference on Monday during the impeachment.
• "It is not my fault - it is the fault of the environment" (Aš nekaltas, aplinka kalta)
• "You are stupid while I am clever and innocent" — ^{[citation needed]}

An idiom is an expression (i. ...

References

1. Andrius Vilkancas, FOCUS-Lithuania mayor nominated prime minister, Reuters News, 10 May 1999

Reuters Group plc LSE: RTR NASDAQ: RTRSY is best known as a news service that provides reports from around the world to newspapers and broadcasters. ...

External links

• Liberal Democrats Party of Lithuania.
• Biographical facts - from NATO website.