Riga [Lithuania], August 15: Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has nominated the country's current Minister of Social Affairs and Labour, Inga Ruginiene, as prime minister and tasked her with forming a government.
The 44-year-old Social Democrat's candidacy must now be approved by parliament. She will then be able to form her Cabinet, which will then face another vote in parliament.
Ruginiene was proposed by her party as the successor to Gintautas Paluckas, who resigned in early August following allegations of dubious business dealings and conflicts of interest.
She was first elected to parliament last autumn and then appointed minister of social affairs and labour. Prior to that, she had been the chair of the Lithuanian Trade Union Confederation for six years.
Critics accuse Ruginiene of lacking political experience. However, more questions have been raised about her relatives living in Russia and her frequent visits to that country.
By her own account she continued to travel to Russia even after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Another part of her family comes from Ukraine, where she also spent her summers as a child, she said.
That is why she spent a lot of time in a Russian-speaking environment as a child - and therefore may not speak perfect Lithuanian.
Nauseda said on Thursday that the information available so far gives reason to believe that Ruginiene will "successfully perform" the duties of head of government. However, there are certain details in her biography that require "more attention," he told a Lithuanian broadcaster.
Source: Qatar Tribune
