Lithuania is a democratic republic whose Parliament (Seimas) is headed by a Prime Minister. The President of Lithuania is head of state and can be elected for a maximum of 2 consecutive 5-year terms. The President is also the commander-in-chief and is responsible for overseeing foreign policy and security with the approval of the Parliament. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President. The Council of Ministers is nominated by the Prime Minister and appointed by the President. Executive power is exercised by the government, and legislative power lies with the government and the Parliament. 71 of 141 seats in Parliament are directly elected, and 70 are elected through proportional representation.

Presidential and European Parliamentary elections, held in 2005, were followed by national Parliamentary elections that were deemed free and fair. Women were elected to 35 seats in Parliament.

Complaints were made concerning a lack of transparency in campaign financing. Transparency International charges that a new law on campaign financing law does not ensure sufficient transparency. The judiciary is independent. The Commission to investigate the crimes of Nazi and Soviet occupations continues. The Communist Party of Lithuania and organisations of the Soviet regime are banned.

Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, social status or ethnic background is prohibited but persists against some groups.

There are reported declines in incidents of degrading treatment by police and in the hazing of military recruits. Transparency International reports corruption and nepotism as problems among certain civil servants, police and health sector employees. Corruption is also reported as being a problem in universities.

Public access to government information is guaranteed, but some departments are loath to provide the information requested. Freedom of speech and of the press are guaranteed, and active, independent media provide a variety of views. Journalists may be ordered to reveal their sources under certain conditions. Internet access is not restricted. Monitoring of correspondence is illegal, but accusations are made of surveillance and wiretapping.

Trafficking in women and girls for the purpose of sexual exploitation is a problem. Despite efforts by the government, trafficking is on the increase, and Lithuania is a source, transit and destination country for women and girls trafficked for sexual exploitation.

An increase is reported in anti-Semitic remarks made by the media and by some politicians. A working group has been formed to draft legislation increasing the penalties for inciting discord, anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia.

Some doctors are accused of divulging to employers confidential information that violates the privacy of HIV-positive patients. Homosexuals suffer social exclusion. The Lithuanian Gay League complains of physical abuse and insults on the street and in the mass media.

Education is compulsory and tuition-free to age 15. Only 1% of children in this age group do not attend school. School transportation is provided for rural children, and a free school meal is available for one-third of children in school. Orphanages are being replaced with residential homes or foster families, allowing children to attend community schools. More training, monitoring and support for foster families are required.

Several thousand street children have access to free state services. A programme of Holocaust education is taught in schools to promote the development of a tolerant society. State education institutions may offer religious instruction of state-recognised religions, but participation in religious classes is not mandatory.

A 4-year programme begins at age 3. The Net Enrolment Rate (NER) is 60%. All 11,123 ECE teachers are women. The pupil teacher/ratio (PTR) is 8 : 1.

Education is compulsory for ages 7 to 15. Primary school begins at age 7 and continues for 4 years. The NER is 92% (49% female). Of students who enrol in Grade 1, 98% reach the last grade of primary school. 1% of students repeat grades. There are 11,800 primary teachers (98% female). The PTR is 16 : 1.

Secondary education begins at age 11 and is completed in 8 years. 2% of students in lower secondary and 26% in upper secondary education study in technical vocational programmes. The NER is 94%. 1% of students repeat grades. There are 41,215 secondary teachers, 30,507 (81% female) in lower secondary and 10,708 (78% female) in upper secondary schools. The PTR is 11 : 1 in lower secondary and 10 : 1 in upper secondary education.

There are 167,606 students (60% female) in tertiary institutions, giving a Gross Enrolment Rate of 69%. There are 6,926 Lithuanian students studying abroad, mainly in Germany (1,701), the Russian Federation (1,690), the USA (691), Poland (628) and Latvia (507).

Discrimination against persons with disabilities is prohibited in education or in other state services. The state pension for a person with disabilities is lower than the minimum wage, so that many disabled persons live in poverty. The government finances a network of facilities for the disabled, including day-care centres and residential care homes for adults with mental illness. A government-business partnership supplied computers with Internet access to some 25 centres for persons with disabilities.

The law provides for the granting of asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and the government has established a system for providing protection to refugees.

Minority ethnic groups of Russians, Poles, Belarusians, Ukrainians, Tatars and Karaites account for 16.5% of the population. Discrimination against ethnic or national minorities is illegal, but intolerance persists. The Roma community suffers most discrimination in all aspects of life, including education. A programme has been approved to increase tolerance and reduce discrimination of minorities, and government funds a social centre and community school for the Roma.

Reports do not indicate any violation of academic freedom. The Council of Europe Committee on Culture, Science and Education welcomed the support that Lithuania provided to the European Humanities University, which had to go into exile from Belarus to Lithuania.

Equal rights for men and women are guaranteed in law, but discrimination against women is reported. Affirmative action programmes for women have been adopted. Despite guarantees of equal pay for work of equal value, women are often paid less than men. The average wage for a woman is 81% that for a man, falling to 75% in the public sector. Women are under-represented in some professions, in business and in management.

Domestic violence is not a criminal offence but is prosecuted under assault laws. Few cases of abuse are reported. Sexual harassment is prohibited by law. In a survey, 14% of female university students claimed they experienced sexual harassment.

The minimum age for employment is 16; children 14 and 15 may perform light work that does not interfere with schooling, with written consent from both school and parents. Children can work only 2 hours a day during the school year or 12 hours a week. During vacations they can work 7 hours a day or 32 hours a week. Statistics indicate that 10% of working children do so illegally, mostly in the agricultural sector, where children receive very little pay. But child labour laws are generally enforced.

Workers have the right to form and join trade unions, and some 10% of the work force is unionised. Increasingly workers are hired on short-term contracts, which are not always renewed. Collective bargaining takes place but is still not widespread. Government employees with security responsibilities do not have collective bargaining rights. Approximately 90% of enterprises are not unionised, and wages are often set without consultation or negotiation. Workers have the right to strike, except those in essential services.

Forced or compulsory labour is prohibited, but reports indicate that such practices occur. The minimum wage of US $178 (500 LTL) a month does not provide a decent standard of living for a worker and family. The average wage is reported at US$427 (1,222 LTL) a month. Working hours may not exceed 48 hours within a 7-day period.