„In January or February next year, the LVŽS electoral congress is planned. The members of the union will have to decide who will continue to lead the union. The situation is one in which we can learn from our failures, and they must become opportunities to strengthen the position of LVŽS in the future. I could lead the LVŽS on that path if I receive support at the congress. At the same time, I am ready to step down honourably if most of the union members choose another leader,“ Karbauskis wrote in a letter to the Peasants, quoted by Delfi.lt.
„Whatever the decision of the LVŽS congress, I would suggest not to delay making important decisions for the union. First of all, we should exclude from the union those who, after the elections, suspended their membership in LVŽS and are now looking for benefits in the environment of other parties. If they do not find such benefits, they will regain membership in LVŽS. This is an unacceptable situation for other LVŽS members and would hinder strengthening the union's chapters in the local elections run-up, „ the politician said.
Moreover, Karbauskis further wrote in his letter that the Peasants, who remain in the opposition and have formed a joint group with representatives of the Union of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania-Christian Families (ULA-LLRA-KŠS), should continue their tradition and form a shadow government of the party.
„I propose to approve the composition of the Shadow Government of the LVŽS before the New Year so that it could prepare an alternative government programme for the forthcoming congress of the union, which would show to the Lithuanian people how a government of the LVŽS would manage the affairs of the state,“ he said.
He admitted that the cooperation with Vėgėlė had not been successful
In his letter to the party members, Karbauskis admitted that collaborating with Vėgėlė and his team was not the best solution.
„The results of our union in the elections (ELTA) were different. It can be stated that the strategy I proposed to support Ignas Vėgėlė candidacy in the presidential elections and then to form a joint list in the Seimas elections did not work. This is particularly evident in the Seimas elections, where my belief that the presence of Ignas's team would increase the number of voters did not work at all. 9.4% voted for the LVŽS candidates, while only 7.02% voted for the list,“ Karbauskis wrote, admitting that the Peasants' results were also influenced by the unfulfilled promises made by the leader of the Social Democrats, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, regarding her leadership of the Government.
„If Paluckas had been named as a candidate for Prime Minister, the election results would have been different, much more favourable for LVŽS,“ the politician said.
On the other hand, Karbauskis saw the bright side of the elections, which did not go well for the Peasants. According to the LVŽS Chairman, thanks to his efforts, the Liberal Movement did not get into the ruling coalition. Moreover, he continued, the Peasants who remain in the opposition will be able to strengthen themselves when the Social Democrats make mistakes.
„In the perspective of the upcoming local elections, LVŽS can take advantage of the problems of the Social Democrats in national politics and strengthen its position, as it did at the expense of the Conservatives in the last local elections“, he said.
He denies that he did not enter the ruling coalition because of his toxic relationship with Skvernelis
In a letter to his party members, Karbauskis denied the public opinion that the Peasants were not invited to the ruling coalition because of the toxic relationship between him and Saulius Skvernelis, the leader of Vardan Lietuvos (In the Name of Lithuania).
„All the talk about the relationship between me and Saulius Skvernelis and the fact that it prevented the formation of the coalition is nonsense. Skvernelis needed a partner in the coalition who would obey his will, and the Social Democrats would have no choice. LVŽS would not be involved in such deals. Žemaitaitis was ideally suited for this, and this is best confirmed by the situation when the post of the Speaker of the Seimas, offered to Nemuno Aušra (The Dawn of Nemunas), was „kindly“ handed over to Skvernelis,“ Karbauskis explained the situation to the party members.
ELTA recalls that the Lithuanian Peasant Popular Union (LVŽS), which won 8 seats in the Seimas elections, decided to work with three representatives of the Lithuanian Poles' Electoral Action-Christian Families Union (LLRA-KŠS). The parties have formed a Lithuanian Peasants', Greens' and Christian Families' Union group, which will work in the Seimas opposition.
However, after the elections, the Peasants were projected into the coalition ranks – the Social Democrats consulted with the LVŽS on possible joint work. However, in the end, the Peasants' representatives were not invited to the ruling majority.
