Crisis Phase (September 6, 1991-August 31, 1993): Lithuania formally achieved its independence from the Soviet Union on September 6, 1991. Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius resigned on May 28, 1992, and Aleksandras Abisala was approved as prime minister by the parliament on July 21, 1992. On September 8, 1992, the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw its 20,500 troops from Lithuania. Parliamentary elections were held on October 25 and November 15, 1992, and the Lithuanian Democratic Labor Party (LDLP) won 73 out of 141 seats in the parliament (Seimas). The Lithuanian Reform Movement (Sajudis) headed by Vytautas Landsbergis won 30 seats in the parliament. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) established an election observation mission to monitor the parliamentary elections. The Council of Europe (COE) Parliamentary Assembly sent observers to monitor the parliamentary elections. Algirdas Brazauskas of the LDLP was elected acting-president by the parliament on November 25, 1992. President Brazauskas appointed Bronislovas Lubys as prime minister on December 2, 1992. Algirdas Brazauskas of the LDLP was elected president with 60 percent of the vote on February 14, 1993, and he was inaugurated as president on February 25, 1993. President Brazauskas appointed Adolfus Slezevicius as prime minister on March 10, 1993. The Homeland Union (HU) was established by Vytautas Landsbergis on May 1, 1993. Russia withdrew its remaining troops from Lithuania on August 31, 1993.
Post-Crisis Phase (September 1, 1993-present): Prime Minister Slezevicius was replaced by Laurynas Mindaugas Stankevicius of the LDLP as prime minister on February 23, 1996. Parliamentary elections were held on October 20 and November 10, 1996, and the HU won 70 out of 141 seats in the Seimas. The Christian Democratic Party (CDP) won 16 seats in the Seimas, and the LDLP won 12 seats in the Seimas. The OSCE/ODIHR established an election observation mission consisting of two long-term observers and 40 short-term observers from 12 countries headed by Frank Aarebrot of Norway and Simon Osborn of Britain to monitor the parliamentary elections from October 9 to November 11, 1996. President Brazauskas nominated Gediminas Vagnorius of the HU as prime minister on November 27, 1996. Local elections were held on March 23, 1997, and the HU won 493 out of 1,484 seats in the local councils. The LDLP won 212 seats in local councils. Valdus Adamkus was elected president in the runoff election with some 50 percent of the vote on January 4, 1998, and he was inaugurated as president on February 26, 1998. Parliamentary elections were held on October 8, 2000, and the Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (Lietuvos Socialdemokratu Partija-LSP) won 51 out of 141 seats in the parliament. President Adamkus nominated Rolandas Paksas of the Liberal Union (LU) as prime minister on October 23, 2000, and the parliament approved Rolandas Paksas as prime minister on October 26, 2000. Algirdas Brazauskas was approved as prime minister by the parliament on July 3, 2001. Presidential elections were held on December 22, 2002 and January 5, 2003, and Rolandas Paksas of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was elected president with 54.7 percent of the vote in the second round of presidential elections. The British Helsinki Human Rights Group (BHHRG) sent observers to monitor the presidential elections. Rolandas Paksas was inaugurated as president on February 26, 2003. The Constitutional Court of Lithuania found the president guilty of several offenses on March 31, 2004, and President Rolandas Paksas was impeached by the parliament on April 6, 2004. Arturas Paulauskas, speaker of the parliament, was sworn in as acting-president on April 6, 2004. Presidential elections were held on June 13 and 27, 2004, and Valdas Adamkus was elected president with 52 percent of the vote in the second round of the elections. Valdas Adamkus was inaugurated as president on July 12, 2004. Parliamentary elections were held on October 10 and 24, 2004, and the Labour Party (Darbo Partija-DP) headed by Viktor Uspaskich won 39 out of 141 seats in the parliament. The governing coalition consisting of the LSP and New Union Social Liberals (Naujoji Sajunga Socialliberalai-NSS) won 31 seats in the parliament. The government of Prime Minister Brazauskas resigned on May 31, 2006. Gediminas Kirkilas of the LSP was approved as prime minister on July 4, 2006.
[Sources: Banks and Muller, 1998, 554-557; British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), April 6, 2004, June 14, 2004, June 27, 2004, November 3, 2004, May 31, 2006, July 4, 2006; Keesing’s Record of World Events, July 1992, October 1992, November 1992, December 1992, February 1993, March 1993, October 1996, March 1997, December 1997; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) newsletter, October 1996, November 1996; Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly (PA)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) statement, October 21, 1996, November 12, 1996; Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), November 27, 1996, February 26, 1998.]