LITHUANIA'S HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS AFTER DEPUTY'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000115 SIPDIS EMBASSY COPENHAGEN FOR REGIONAL ESTH OFFICER E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2020 TAGS: PGOV KCOR LH SUBJECT: LITHUANIA'S HEALTH MINISTER RESIGNS AFTER DEPUTY'S CORRUPTION CONVICTION REF: 09 VILNIUS 615 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Damian R. Leader for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Lithuania's Minister of Health resigned effective February 22 in the aftermath of a corruption scandal in which a vice minister pled guilty to soliciting a bribe. Raimondas Sukys, the first deputy speaker of the parliament and a former Minister of Interior, was nominated to become the new Health Minister. The government's emphasis on reform of the health-care system is not expected to change. The bribery scandal may well have adverse effects on the departed minister's political party. It also appears that law-enforcement officials are probing for other evidence of corruption within the health ministry. End summary. ¶2. (U) Algis Caplikas, nominated as Health Minister by the Liberal and Center Union Party in late 2008 when the current coalition government was formed, will keep his parliamentary seat after his resignation from the Cabinet. He announced his intention to resign on February 10, and President Dalia Grybauskaite formally accepted his resignation February 22. The Liberal and Center Union nominated another of its Seimas (parliament) members, Raimondas Sukys, as his replacement on February 22. Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius had urged the party to choose Sukys, and Grybauskaite said she would appoint Sukys once Kubilius forwarded his nomination to her. ¶3. (U) Caplikas' resignation was part of the fallout of the corruption conviction of Vice Minister Arturas Skikas, a doctor and local politician from western Lithuania, who was arrested January 21 after being accused of demanding a bribe of 20,000 litas (USD 8,000) from the director of the National Blood Center. Skikas, one of three vice ministers, quickly pled guilty and received a suspended prison sentence of two years. After his arrest, police questioned Caplikas and other health ministry officials in what appears to be a broader investigation into alleged corruption in the ministry. Caplikas initially said he had no reason to resign, but that he took full political responsibility for Skikas and would resign if necessary. Kubilius said he had received no information from investigators linking Caplikas to any corruption, and did not see any need for the minister to resign. But just two days later, Seimas Speaker Irena Degutiene said Caplikas would have difficulty securing support for reform of the health-care system and that she thought he should resign. Later that day, Caplikas announced his resignation, citing a perceived lack of support from the coalition-leading Conservative Party as his reason. Both Kubilius and Degutiene are Conservatives. ¶4. (U) Restructuring of the health-care system has been the ministry's top priority. Ministry officials say Lithuania has too wide a hospital network, with too many doctors and too many beds. While that may be good for patients, it is ruinously expensive for a country in Lithuania's poor financial condition. In a November meeting, Caplikas said (reftel) that reforms would also improve control of public procurement and safeguarding of public money, as well as more effective and efficient use of expensive medical equipment that is currently underutilized. Grybauskaite, Degutiene and Kubilius have all said that it is important that reforms continue. (Media reports, however, have hinted that Degutiene, who suggested Caplikas should resign and who is herself a medical doctor and former hospital administrator, is not in favor of the reform program, although the Speaker has denied that.) ¶5. (U) Sukys, nominated February 22 to replace Caplikas, currently serves as first deputy speaker of the Seimas, where he is in his third four-year term. In 2006-07 he served as Interior Minister, but stepped down after a car driven by a drunken policeman killed three people. He has worked as a lawyer in government and the private sector, and has taught civil law. He has been a member of the Seimas anti-corruption committee. ¶6. (C) Caplikas' resignation may exacerbate problems within the Liberal and Center Union Party. The party's former leader, ex-Vilnius mayor Arturas Zuokas, resigned from the Seimas in November and was replaced by his wife, Agne Zuokiene, who was next on the party list though she is not officially a party member. But she promptly announced that she would not caucus with the party and considers herself an unaffiliated legislator. In addition, the convicted vice minister, Skikas, said he had taken the bribe on behalf of the Liberal and Center Union, of which he is also a member, though party leaders deny that the party was involved. After Skikas' arrest, investigators seized some documents from an organization founded by Zuokiene that runs a breast-cancer prevention project and receives some funding from the Ministry of Health. Law enforcement officials have not said whether the search was related to the corruption investigation at the ministry. Zuokiene ran the organization, Azzara, before joining the Seimas; it is now run by Zuokas. (NOTE: As Vilnius mayor, Zuokas had a reputation for requiring payoffs for any significant construction project in the city; he also was convicted in 2008 for involvement in the bribery of a city council member in 2003. He was considered a front runner for the Health Minister post in late 2008 until Kubilius said he "would really like the new government to start work without any personal blemishes.") Finally, one other Liberal and Center Union member, Zilvinas Silgalis, has said he is considering leaving the party's parliamentary faction. If he did, that would leave only six members, too small under Seimas rules to constitute a faction. On February 23, media reported that the Liberal and Center Union and the National Revival faction, which also has only seven Seimas members, were discussing formation of a joint faction. ¶7. (C) COMMENT: The change at the top of the Ministry of Health is unlikely to slow or significantly change the GOL's efforts to reform Lithuania's health-care system. Caplikas was seen as a somewhat timid minister who did not push the reform agenda hard, so decisive action by Sukys could actually speed reform. The Skikas case also has focused media and law-enforcement attention on other possible corruption in the Health Ministry and the health-care industry. It is commonplace for patients to have to pay bribes to get access to medical resources or to get attention from doctors. Anti-corruption police also are looking into at least one contract involving the ministry's State Patient Fund. The Embassy has repeatedly questioned GOL officials about their failure to take advantage of a World Health Organization program (reftel) that would allow Lithuania to save money on the purchase of drugs to fight multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). Lithuania instead has continued to buy more expensive, locally produced drugs. We do not yet know whether the anti-corruption police are investigating in that area, but plan to suggest to the new minister that he revisit the GOL's choices in the fight against MDR-TB. End comment. DERSE