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Article 61
 

Election Observers


1. Parties as well as candidates for Seimas member shall have the right to appoint not more than two election observers each in every polling district. It shall be prohibited to appoint wardens and deputy wardens as election observers in those polling districts which are within the territory covered by their wards. An election observer shall be a person having a certificate in the form established by the Central Electoral Commission. He shall have the right to observe elections conducted in the territory of the constituency or polling district which is indicated in his certificate. The observer’s certificate shall be issued by:


1) the Central Electoral Commission - to observe elections on the entire territory of the Republic of Lithuania, in the diplomatic missions and consular posts of the Republic of Lithuania or only in specific constituencies, polling districts upon the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the President of the Republic or a person authorised by him, or upon the request of the persons representing international institutions, as well as at its own discretion;
2) a constituency electoral committee - to observe elections in the entire territory of the constituency, in one or several polling districts to citizens of the Republic of Lithuania who are above 18 years of age upon the proposal of the candidate whose name is on the ballot paper of the multi-member constituency or of this constituency, or at the request of the local branch of the party; the surname and name of the person, his personal code, name of the polling district (districts) must be indicated in the certificate.


2. The observer’s certificate shall be issued by the chairman of the electoral committee on behalf of the electoral committee or by any other member of the committee on the instruction of the committee chairman. It shall not be allowed to refuse to issue an observer’s certificate or delay its issuance, if the person to whom it should be issued meets the requirements of this Law. All refusals to issue an observer’s certificate must be reported at the next committee sitting and an appropriate election representative must be notified thereof.


3. The Central Electoral Commission shall register international election observers and issue certificates to them. The Central Electoral Commission shall have the right not to register international election observers and not to issue observer’s certificates to them, if activities of such international election observers are not in compliance with laws and the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. If international election observers violate laws or the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, their registration may be cancelled and the observer’s certificates may be declared invalid. International election observers shall have all the rights given to election observers by this Law.


4. An election observer shall have the right to demand that the chairman and members of an electoral committee, as well as persons who are in the polling station should adhere to this and other laws of the Republic of Lithuania. Electoral committees must make arrangements to ensure that an election observer be provided with proper conditions in the polling station of a polling district to monitor the observance of this Law. If an observer violates this or other laws himself, his observer’s certificate may be revoked on the decision of the chairman of the constituency electoral committee. The members of the electoral committee, the Central Electoral Commission and an appropriate election representative shall be immediately notified of the decision.