LITHUANIA: A Lithuanian parliamentary panel urged fellow deputies yesterday to vote on the impeachment of President Rolandas Paksas, the former champion stunt pilot accused of being a threat to national security through links to the Russian mafia and secret service.
Delivering a long-awaited report, the committee accused Mr Paksas of a host of serious charges, most of them surrounding his relationship with Mr Yuri Borisov, an alleged Russian arms dealer who was an adviser and major financier behind Mr Paksas' election win in January.
Mr Julius Sabatauskas, deputy leader of the committee, told parliament that Mr Paksas had made several "gross violations" during his time in office.
He said the charges were "well founded" and that deputies would almost certainly accept the report's findings, leading to a vote to oust Mr Paksas that would probably take place in April - shortly before Lithuania is due to join the EU on May 1st.
Mr Paksas is accused of "contradicting the interests of nation and state" in making promises to Mr Borisov, and failing to protect state secrets by tipping off the businessman that his telephone conversations were being tapped.
In one of his first acts as president, Mr Paksas granted Lithuanian citizenship to Mr Borisov, who runs a helicopter services firm and a flying school. The Constitutional Court later declared the move illegal.
Mr Paksas (47) is also accused of using his power to influence private enterprises, omitting to separate his presidential and private interests and failing to prevent his advisers from abusing their own powers.
Mr Paksas and Mr Borisov deny all charges against them, and say Lithuania's political elite wants to oust a popular leader who is determined to eliminate pervasive corruption.
The affair has embarrassed the nation of 3.5 million just months before it joins the European Union and NATO and raised fears that Russian mobsters would use the Baltic country as a springboard for illegal activities across the enlarged EU.
One of the president's lawyers said the report was biased and not supported by testimony given at panel hearings.
If parliament succeeds in ousting Mr Paksas, the country must hold new elections by the end of June.