VILNIUS, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania's Social Democratic Party (LSDP) Council has formally approved a coalition forming the ruling majority with Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA) and the Democratic Union "For Lithuania" (DSVL), the Baltic News Service (BNS) reported on Saturday.
The coalition was backed by 105 council members, with seven social democrats, including honorary chairman Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, voting against it, and another 17 abstaining.
Earlier on Saturday, both PPNA and DSVL also approved the coalition agreement.
Under the agreement, Gintautas Paluckas will lead the new government, while DSVL leader Saulius Skvernelis will serve as Speaker of the Seimas. The distribution of ministerial roles allocates three ministries to PPNA, two to DSVL, and nine to LSDP.
PPNA will oversee the ministries of agriculture, environment, and justice, while DSVL will lead the ministries of economy, innovation, and energy. The LSDP will head the ministries of finance, national defense, culture, social security and labor, communications, health care, education, science and sports, foreign affairs, and the interior.
LSDP will also hold the roles of first vice-chairman of the Seimas and two additional vice-chairman positions, with PPNA providing two Deputy Speakers.
The coalition agreement includes commitments to create a Road Fund, introduce value-added tax relief for fruits and vegetables, reform the second tier of pensions, increase efforts to combat xenophobia, reintroduce a public electricity supplier, and halt education reforms.
The coalition would hold at least 86 of the 141 parliamentary mandates in the next term.
The new Seimas term will be sworn in next Thursday.
Following two rounds of parliamentary elections on Oct. 13 and 27, LSDP secured the largest share of votes, winning 52 seats in the 141-seat unicameral parliament, with PPNA and DSVL securing 20 and 14 mandates, respectively. ■