# Seventh Seimas

The Seventh Seimas of Lithuania was the parliament (Seimas) elected in Lithuania. Elections took place on 20 October 1996, with the second round on 10 November. The Seimas commenced its work on 25 November 1996 and served a four-year term, with the last session on 18 October 2000.

## Elections

In the elections in 1996, 70 members of the parliament were elected on proportional party lists and 71 in single member constituencies. Elections took place on 20 October 1996. In those constituencies where no candidate gained a majority of votes on 20 October, a run-off was held on 10 November.
The elections were won by the Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservative Party, which gained 70 seats, followed by 16 seats won by Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party. Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania, which had decisively won the previous elections, ended up with only 12 seats.
| Party | Abbr. | PR votes | % | Seats | Seats | Seats |
| Party | Abbr. | PR votes | % | PR | Constituency | Total |
| Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservatives | TSLK | 409,585 | 31.34 | 33 | 37 | 70 |
| Lithuanian Christian Democratic Party | LKDP | 136,259 | 10.43 | 11 | 5 | 16 |
| Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania | LDDP | 130,837 | 10.01 | 10 | 2 | 12 |
| Centre Union of Lithuania | LCS | 113,333 | 8.67 | 9 | 4 | 13 |
| Lithuanian Social-Democrat Party | LSDP | 90,756 | 6.94 | 7 | 5 | 12 |
| Young Lithuania | JL | 52,423 | 4.01 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lithuanian Women's Party | LMP | 50,494 | 3.86 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lithuanian Christian Democratic Union | LKDS | 42,346 | 3.24 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania | LLRA | 39,773 | 3.14 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Alliance of the Lithuanian National Minorities | | 33,389 | 2.55 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Nationalist Union | LTS | 28,744 | 2.20 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lithuanian Democratic Party | LDP | 28,744 | 2.20 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Liberal Union of Lithuania | LLS | 25,279 | 1.93 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lithuanian Peasants Party | LVP | 22,826 | 1.75 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Union of the Russians of Lithuania | | 22,395 | 1.71 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Union of Political Prisoners and Deportees | LPKTS | 20,580 | 1.57 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Lithuanian Liberty Union | | 20,511 | 1.57 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Party of Economy | | 16,475 | 1.26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Liberty League | | 12,562 | 0.96 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Social Justice Union | | 12,234 | 0.94 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Socialist Party | | 9,985 | 0.76 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican Party | | 5,063 | 0.39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| National Progress Party | | 3,922 | 0.30 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Party Life's Logic | | 3,361 | 0.26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lithuanian Peoples Party | | 2,622 | 0.26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independence Party | | – | – | – | 0 | 0 |
| Independents | | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 67,751 | 4.9 | – | – | – |
| Total | Total | 1,374,673 | 100 | 70 | 67 | 137 |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 2,597,530 | 52.9 | – | – | – |

## Activities

Vytautas Landsbergis was elected as the Speaker of the Seventh Seimas and served throughout the term.
The Seventh Seimas laid the foundations for parliamentary control in Lithuania. By this term, institution, Special Investigation Service, designed for anticorruption activities, was established. Also amendments of Constitution, which considered Euroatlantic integration, were passed.
The Seimas and the Government also proceeded with the privatization of large public enterprises.

## Composition
### Parliamentary groups

During the first session of the Seimas the following parliamentary groups were registered: Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservatives, Christian Democrats, Center, Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania, Social Democrats, Joint Group (Joint Group of the Peasants' party, the Christian Democratic Union and the National Party "Young Lithuania"), Independent Group and the Mixed Group of Members of the Seimas.
Several splits occurred during the term. In late 1998 Laima Andrikienė and Vidmantas Žiemelis were ejected from Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservatives. They were followed by another 10 parliament members who formed the parliamentary group of Moderate Conservatives in 2000. In the same year, Modern Christian Democrats (4 members) split from the Christian Democrats and Social Democracy 2000s (4 members at the time) split from the Social Democrats. However, similarly to the Sixth Seimas, the Seventh Seimas saw few defections across ideological borders, due to the vast gulf between ruling and opposition parties.$^{:354}$
By the end of the term of the Seimas, the following parliamentary groups were active.
| Name | Abbr. | Members |
| Homeland Union - Lithuanian Conservatives | TSLK | 48 |
| Christian Democrats | KDF | 12 |
| Center | CF | 17 |
| Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania | LDDPF | 11 |
| Social Democrats | SDF | 7 |
| Joint Group of the Peasants' party, the Christian Democratic Union and the National Party "Young Lithuania" | JF | 5 |
| Social Democracy 2000s | S 2000 | 5 |
| Modern Christian Democrats | MKD | 4 |
| Moderate Conservatives | NKF | 12 |
| Joint Group of the Democratic Party and the National People's Party | DF | 3 |
| Independent Group | NF | 2 |
| Others | MSNG | 2 |
| Vacant | | 4 |

### Members

A total of 151 members were elected to the Seventh Seimas (Virgilijus Bulovas and Naglis Puteikis were elected but did not take their seats),$^{:348}$ including 126 men and 25 women. Seimas had 137 members at the end of the term, as no new elections would take place in single-seat constituencies with less than 6 months of the term left.$^{:348–349}$
| Name, Surname | Electoral list | Constituency | Parliamentary group | Notes |
| Arvydas Akstinavičius | LSDP | Nationwide | SDF S 2000 (From 19 December 1999) | |
| Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė | TSLK | Tauragės | TSLK | |
| Raimundas Alekna | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | from 5 March 1997 |
| Danutė Aleksiūnienė | LCS | Trakų | CF | From 23 April 1997 |
| Ignas Aleškevičius | TSLK | Nationwide | | until 4 February 1997 |
| Nijolė Ambrazaitytė | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Laima Andrikienė | TSLK | Pramonės | TSLK MSNG (from 1 January 1999) DF (from 2 May 2000) | |
| Vytenis Andriukaitis | LSDP | Žirmūnų | SDF | |
| Alfonsas Andriuškevičius | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | From 24 April 1997 |
| Jonas Avyžius | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | Until 7 July 1999 |
| Audronius Ažubalis | TSLK | Fabijoniškių | TSLK | |
| Alfonsas Bartkus | TSLK | Šilalės Šilutės | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Julius Beinortas | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Juozas Bernatonis | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | From 1 May 1998 |
| Egidijus Bičkauskas | LCS | Justiniškių | CF | |
| Kazys Bobelis | LKDS | Marijampolės | JF | |
| Vytautas Bogušis | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF MKDF (from 23 December 1999) | |
| Mindaugas Briedis | TSLK | Radviliškio | TSLK | |
| Virgilijus Vladislovas Bulovas | LDDP | Nationwide | | From 1 April 1998 until 1 May 1998 |
| Sigita Burbienė | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Stanislovas Buškevičius | JL | Kalniečių | JF | |
| Algirdas Butkevičius | LSDP | Vilkaviškio | SDF | |
| Audrius Butkevičius | Independent | Naujamiesčio | CF MSNG (from 15 June 1999) | |
| Vytautas Aleksandras Cinauskas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Algis Čaplikas | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Vytautas Čepas | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Sigitas Čirba | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Regimantas Čiupaila | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Rimantas Dagys | LSDP | Nationwide | SDF S 2000 (from 19 December 1999) | |
| Sofija Daubaraitė | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Irena Degutienė | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Rimantas Didžiokas | TSLK | Baltijos | TSLK | |
| Roma Dovydėnienė | LSDP | Nationwide | SDF | |
| Juozas Dringelis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Vytautas Dudėnas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Jadvyga Dunauskaitė | TSLK | Akmenės | TSLK | |
| Vytautas Einoris | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Juozas Galdikas | TSLK | Lazdijų Druskininkų | TSLK | |
| Povilas Gylys | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Vincas Girnius | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | Until 4 February 1997 |
| Kęstutis Glaveckas | LCS | Alytaus | CF | |
| Petras Gražulis | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Arūnas Grumadas | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Romualda Hofertienė | TSLK | Marių | TSLK | |
| Gražina Imbrasienė | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Žibartas Juozas Jackūnas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Kęstutis Jakelis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | From 18 July 1999 |
| Vladimir Jarmolenko | TSLK | Dainavos | TSLK | Until 21 November 1999 |
| Česlovas Juršėnas | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Sigitas Kaktys | TSLK | Mažeikių | TSLK | |
| Ramūnas Karbauskis | Independent | Šiaulių kaimiškoji | JF | |
| Justinas Karosas | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Algis Kašėta | LKDP | Varėnos Eišiškių | KDF MSNG (from 14 December 1999) MKDF (from 23 December 1999) | |
| Povilas Katilius | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Juozapas Algirdas Katkus | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Gediminas Kirkilas | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Vytautas Petras Knašys | TSLK | Raseinių | TSLK | |
| Mindaugas Končius | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Kazimieras Vytautas Kryževičius | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Andrius Kubilius | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Saulius Kubiliūnas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | From 17 November 1997 |
| Elvyra Janina Kunevičienė | TSLK | Lazdynų | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Rytas Kupčinskas | TSLK | Aleksoto Vilijampolės | TSLK | |
| Bronislavas Juozas Kuzmickas | TSLK | Gargždų | TSLK | |
| Kazimieras Kuzminskas | LKDP | Panemunės | KDF | |
| Vytautas Landsbergis | TSLK | Kauno kaimiškoji | TSLK | |
| Vaclovas Lapė | TSLK | Skuodo Mažeikių | TSLK | |
| Mečys Laurinkus | TSLK | Nevėžio | TSLK | Until 1 July 1998 |
| Juozas Listavičius | TSLK | Kelmės | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Zygmunt Mackevič | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Stasys Malkevičius | TSLK | Pajūrio | TSLK | |
| Virginijus Martišauskas | Independent | Šilutės | CF | |
| Jūratė Matekonienė | LTS and LDP | Jonavos | CF | |
| Antanas Matulas | TSLK | Pasvalio Panevėžio | TSLK | |
| Alvydas Medalinskas | Independent | Šeškinės | LRF MSNG (from 1 January 1999) | |
| Nikolaj Medvedev | LSDP | Pakruojo Joniškio | SDF | |
| Rasa Melnikienė | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Gabriel Jan Mincevič | LLRA | Širvintų Vilniaus | NF | |
| Jonas Mocartas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK MSNG (from 1 February 2000) NKF (from 28 March 2000) | From 4 February 1997 |
| Juozas Olekas | LSDP | Suvalkijos | SDF | |
| Romualdas Ozolas | LCS | Dzūkijos | CF | |
| Nijolė Oželytė | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK (until 27 December 1999) NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Vytautas Pakalniškis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Feliksas Palubinskas | LKDP | Centro | KDF MKDF (from 19 January 2000) | |
| Petras Papovas | LDDP | Zarasų-Visagino | LDDPF | |
| Algirdas Vaclovas Patackas | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Dainius Petras Paukštė | LSDP | Nationwide | S 2000 | From 9 April 2000 |
| Saulius Pečeliūnas | LTS and LDP | Kaišiadorių-Elektrėnų | MSNG DF (from 2 May 2000) | |
| Simas Ramutis Petrikis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Elena Petrošienė | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Algirdas Petrusevičius | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Rimantas Pleikys | TSLK | Senamiesčio | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Artur Plokšto | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Zigmantas Pocius | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | Until 3 November 1997 |
| Mykolas Pronckus | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Kazimira Prunskienė | LMP | Molėtų Švenčionių | NF | |
| Naglis Puteikis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | From 4 February 1997 until 24 April 1997 |
| Antanas Račas | TSLK | Jurbarko | TSLK | |
| Raimundas Leonas Rajeckas | TSLK | Aukštaitijos | TSLK | Until 20 August 1997 |
| Rasa Rastauskienė | TSLK | Anykščių Kupiškio | TSLK | |
| Arimantas Juvencijus Raškinis | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Jurgis Razma | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Rūta Rutkelytė | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Liudvikas Sabutis | TSLK | Plungės | TSLK | |
| Joana Danguolė Sadeikienė | TSLK | Žaliakalnio | TSLK | |
| Aloyzas Sakalas | LSDP | Antakalnio | SDF | |
| Algimantas Salamakinas | LDDP | Kėdainių | LDDPF | |
| Algirdas Saudargas | LKDP | Karoliniškių | KDF | |
| Algimantas Sėjūnas | TSLK | Aušros | TSLK | |
| Jan Sienkiewicz | LLRA | Vilniaus - Šalčininkų | NF | From 23 March 1997 |
| Romualdas Sikorskis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | Until 5 March 1997 |
| Algirdas Sysas | LSDP | Nationwide | SDF | |
| Kęstutis Skrebys | TSLK | Vakarinė | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Sigitas Slavickas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Rimantas Smetona | LTS and LDP | Ukmergės | JF | |
| Stasys Stačiokas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | Until 18 March 1999 |
| Česlovas Stankevičius | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Laurynas Stankevičius | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | Until 31 March 1998 |
| Antanas Napoleonas Stasiškis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Alfredas Henrikas Stasiulevičius | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Vida Stasiūnaitė | LSDP | Nationwide | SDF MSNG (from 1 January 1999) | Until 8 April 2000 |
| Ona Suncovienė | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Rimvydas Raimondas Survila | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | From 19 March 1999 |
| Petras Šakalinis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Petras Antanas Šalčius | TSLK | Rokiškio | TSLK | |
| Saulius Šaltenis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Kazimieras Šavinis | LCS | Dainų | CF | |
| Marija Šerienė | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF MKDF(from 23 December 1999) | |
| Irena Šiaulienė | LDDP | Nationwide | LDDPF | |
| Gintaras Šileikis | LCS | Nationwide | CF | |
| Jonas Šimėnas | LKDP | Utenos | KDF | |
| Albertas Šimėnas | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Virginijus Šmigelskas | LCS | Nationwide | CF | From 15 May 2000 |
| Antanas Švitra | LPKTS | Kretingos | MSNG | |
| Kęstutis Trapikas | LLS | Ignalinos Švenčionių | LRF CF (from 1 January 1999) | |
| Sigitas Urbonas | TSLK | Prienų | TSLK | |
| Ignacas Stasys Uždavinys | LKDP | Nationwide | KDF | |
| Gediminas Vagnorius | TSLK | Telšių | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Alfonsas Vaišnoras | TSLK | Šilainių | TSLK MSNG (from 1 February 2000) NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Kęstutis Vaitukaitis | LCS | Nationwide | CF | Until 14 May 2000 |
| Albinas Vaižmužis | LVP | Biržų Kupiškio | NF | |
| Jonas Valatka | LSDP | Nationwide | SDF S 2000 (from 19 December 1999) | |
| Virmantas Velikonis | LDDP | Aukštaitijos | LDDPF | From 21 December 1997 |
| Arvydas Vidžiūnas | TSLK | Šakių | TSLK | |
| Vladas Vilimas | TSLK | Kauno Kėdainių | TSLK | |
| Birutė Teodora Visokavičienė | TSLK | Saulės | TSLK NKF (from 28 March 2000) | |
| Vytenis Albertas Zabukas | TSLK | Danės | TSLK | |
| Emanuelis Zingeris | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK | |
| Rolandas Zuoza | LSDP | Nationwide | SDF S 2000 (from 14 December 1999) | |
| Vidmantas Žiemelis | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK MSNG (from 1 January 1999) DF (from 2 May 2000) | |
| Algis Žvaliauskas | TSLK | Nationwide | TSLK (until 11 May 2000) | |