§ Article 12Formation of the Central Electoral Committee

1. The Central Electoral Committee shall be a permanent supreme institution charged with organisation of elections to the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, President of the Republic, municipal councils, as well as organisation of referenda.
2. The Seimas shall form the Central Electoral Committee for a four-year period no later than 100 days and no earlier than 130 days in advance of regular elections to the Seimas. The Central Electoral Committee shall not be newly formed before early elections to the Seimas; it shall retain its powers until the Central Electoral Committee is formed before regular elections to the Seimas.
3. The Central Electoral Committee shall be composed of:
1) the Committee Chairman;
2) three persons with university law degrees who are chosen by drawing lots from among the six candidates nominated by the Minister of Justice;
3) three persons with university law degrees who are chosen by drawing lots from among the six candidates nominated by the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society; and
4) the persons nominated by parties which have received mandates of the Seimas members in the multi-member constituency.
4. The Minister of Justice and the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society may nominate more candidates to the Central Electoral Committee.
5. Drawing of lots during a Seimas sitting shall be organised by the Chairman or Deputy Chairman Speaker of the Seimas.
6. Prior to the formation of the Committee, parties which have received mandates of the Seimas members in the multi-member constituency shall each have the right to nominate one representative to the Central Electoral Committee from one list of candidates (joint list) nominated in the multi-member constituency.
7. If the representatives meet the requirements specified in paragraphs 2 and 3, Article 11 of this Law, the Seimas may not reject the nominees.
8. In all cases, persons appointed to the Central Electoral Committee from among the candidates nominated by the Minister of Justice and the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society must make up more than 1/2 of the Committee members. If the number of such persons is smaller, the number of the members of the Committee shall be increased in equal numbers, according to the procedure established in this Article, by drawing lots, from among the candidates nominated by the Minister of Justice and the Lithuanian Lawyers' Society, and the number of the candidates must be twice as large as is necessary for the additional appointment of members to the Central Electoral Committee.
9. The Seimas shall appoint the Chairman of the Central Electoral Committee. The Chairman of the Central Electoral Committee as well as the members of the Committee who were appointed to the Committee by drawing lots must suspend their membership in any party of which they are members, and may not take part in the activities and carry out the instructions of parties or political organisations during the period of their work on the Committee.
10. The Central Electoral Committee shall elect the Deputy Chairman and Secretary of the Committee during its meeting. The Deputy Chairman shall be elected from among the members who do not represent parties.