VILNIUS, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday vetoed an electoral law adopted earlier by the country's parliament which would reduce the existing election threshold.
"Setting lower election threshold in a multi-member constituency would lead to a greater fragmentation of the parliament, complicate the formation of the ruling coalition and prevent the smooth work of the parliament and government," Nauseda said in a statement released by his office.
Earlier in December, Lithuania's parliament backed a proposal by the ruling parties to reduce the existing election threshold to 3 percent for political parties and to 5 percent for party coalition.
Nauseda proposed to keep the existing electoral barriers -- 5 percent for parties and 7 percent for coalitions.
"Citizens' disappointment with democratic institutions should not be tackled by hasty and underdeveloped changes to electoral laws," he said.
Nauseda also said that the decision to amend the Law on Elections to the parliament less than a year before the regular elections contradicts the good election practice set by the European Commission in its Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters.
Ramunas Karbauskis, leader of the ruling Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, told local media on Thursday that the ruling parliamentary parties will try to reject the president's veto.
Meanwhile, Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of the opposition's party Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, welcomed Nauseda's step.
"I see this as a strong move by the president and a testimony to his view that the parliament needs less chaos and more new political culture," Landsbergis was quoted as saying by the news agency Elta.
The parliament plans to consider president's veto at an extraordinary session in mid-January. Lithuania will hold parliamentary election next fall.
