Over 65 Thousand Lithuanians Sign Petition Against Astravets NPP

The prepared draft bill prohibits selling electric power produced at the Belarusian NPP in Lithuania.

The Conservative party “Homeland Union” – the Christian Democrats of Lithuania – claims that they have collected almost 65 thousand signatures of citizens in support of the initiative aimed against the Belarusian NPP in Astravets, ru.delfi.lt informs.

The draft bill prepared by the Conservatives prescribes prohibition of selling the electric power produced at this NPP at the territory of Lithuania and blocking the access of the mentioned NPP to use the electrical power system of Lithuania. It has been signed by 64702 inhabitants of Lithuania in two months, Chairman of the Homeland Union - Christian Democrats of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis has said at the press-conference on Monday.

It is planned to file the signatures to the Chief Electoral Commission at 11.

It was necessary to collect 50 thousand signatures to pass a draft bill “On Protection of the Electric Power System and the Electric Power market” to the Parliament.

Fractions in the Seymas also have a right to pass a draft bill to the Parliament. The representatives of the Homeland Union - Christian Democrats of Lithuania say they decided not to do this due to “broad public resistance” to the NPP in Astravets.

Lithuania remains the most passionate critic of Belarus for construction of an NPP approximately 50 kilometers away from Vilnius. Lithuania claims that Belarus fails to guarantee security of this object which will be located some 20 kilometers away from the border.