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Algirdas Brazauskas
	Algirdas Brazauskas
	;
[First Secretary of Central Committee of Communist Party of Soviet republic of Lithuania]
	In office; 1988 – 1989
Preceded by	Ringaudas Bronislovas Songaila
Succeeded by	Mykolas Burokevičius
9th President of Lithuania
	In office; 25 February 1993 – 25 February 1998
Preceded by	Vytautas Landsbergis
Succeeded by	Valdas Adamkus
Prime Minister of Lithuania
	In office; 3 July 2001 – 31 May 2006
Preceded by	Eugenijus Gentvilas
Succeeded by	Zigmantas Balčytis
Born	22 September 1932 (age 77); Rokiškis, Lithuania
Political party	Lithuanian Social Democratic Party
Spouse(s)	Kristina Brazauskienė

Algirdas Mykolas Brazauskas ( pronunciation (help·info), born 22 September 1932) is a political figure in Lithuania. He was President of Lithuania from 1993 to 1998 and Prime Minister from 2001 to 2006. His government resigned on 31 May 2006 after the large Labour Party left the governing coalition [1].

[edit] Biography

Brazauskas was born in Rokiškis, Lithuania, and graduated from Kaunas Polytechnic Institute in 1956 with a degree in civil engineering. He took various positions in the government of Lithuanian SSR and Communist Party of Lithuania since 1965:

1965-1967, the minister of construction materials industry of Lithuanian SSR
1967-1977, deputy chairman of State Planning Committee of Lithuanian SSR.
1977-1987, secretary of Central Committee of Communist Party of Lithuania.

In 1988, he became the first secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania. Under his leadership, the Communist Party of Lithuania supported the Lithuanian independence movement, broke away from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and transformed itself into social-democratic Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (now merged into the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party). Brazauskas was Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (head of state) from 15 January to 11 March 1990.

After the 1992 parliamentary elections, he became speaker of the parliament and acting President of Lithuania on 25 November 1992. He then won the presidential election with 60% of the vote, was confirmed as President on 25 February 1993, and served until 25 February 1998. He decided not to seek reelection, and retire, in 1998 and was succeeded by Valdas Adamkus, who won the 1998 election.

He subsequently returned to politics, and was Prime Minister from 3 July 2001, appointed by the parliament, until 1 June 2006, when his government resigned as President Valdas Adamkus expressed no confidence in two of the Ministers, formerly Labour Party colleagues of Brazauskas, over ethical principles. Brazauskas decided not to remain in office as acting Prime Minister, and announced that he was finally retiring from politics.

Even so, he led the ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania for one more year, until 19 May 2007, when he passed the reins to Gediminas Kirkilas. He now serves as the honorary chairman of the party, and remains an influential voice in party politics.

Algirdas Brazauskas is an Honorary Member of The International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation. Brazauskas was diagnosed lymphatic cancer in December 2008.[2]

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Algirdas Brazauskas

Baltic times article on resignation

Preceded by Vytautas Landsbergis as Chairman of the Supreme Council	President of Lithuania 1993–1998	Succeeded by Valdas Adamkus
Preceded by Eugenijus Gentvilas	Prime Minister of Lithuania 2001–2006	Succeeded by Zigmantas Balčytis