parlamentas

Parlamentas, in Lithuanian usage, refers to a parliament, the representative assembly responsible for making laws and overseeing the government. Parliaments exist in many democracies and can be unicameral or bicameral. Members are usually called deputies or MPs and are elected for fixed terms through national elections.

The primary functions are to draft, debate, and pass legislation; to approve the budget; to monitor, scrutinize, and hold the executive to account; and to represent different regions and groups. Parliaments may also approve international treaties, elect or remove key state officials, and amend constitutions in some systems.

The legislative process typically includes proposal or committee review, several readings or debates, committee hearings, and votes in plenary sessions. In many parliamentary systems, the government depends on parliamentary support and can be removed by a vote of no confidence.

Parliaments grade accountability through question times, inquiries, and commissions. They also serve as forums for public debate and the articulation of policy priorities.

In Lithuania, the national parliament is the Seimas, a unicameral body of 141 members elected for four-year terms. Seimas passes laws, approves the national budget, ratifies international treaties, and exercises oversight of the government. The term parlamentas thus denotes the concept widely, while Seimas is the specific Lithuanian assembly.