President booted out

last updated 8 January 2015

Vilnius

Lithuania’s parliament impeached President Rolandas Paksas this week over his ties to a controversial Russian businessman. Paksas gave Lithuanian citizenship to the Russian, Yuri Borisov, after Borisov helped finance his campaign. He also sought to make Borisov, reputed to have links to organized crime, his top advisor. Paksas, a charismatic former Soviet stunt pilot, said he was being persecuted for cracking down on legislators who took kickbacks. “I am convinced that there would have been no scandal had I not made attempts to destroy the corrupt system,” Paksas said. An election for his replacement will be held in two months, and Paksas said he would run.