Algirdas Brazauskas - Political Career

Political Career

He took various positions in the government of Lithuanian SSR and Communist Party of Lithuania since 1965:

• 1965–1967, the minister of construction materials industry of Lithuanian SSR
• 1967–1977, deputy chairman of State Planning Committee of Lithuanian SSR.
• 1977–1987, secretary of Central Committee of Communist Party of Lithuania.

In 1988, he became the first secretary of the Communist Party of Lithuania. Under his leadership, the Communist Party of Lithuania supported the Lithuanian independence movement, broke away from the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and transformed itself into social-democratic Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania (now merged into the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party). Brazauskas was Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (head of state) from 15 January to 11 March 1990.

After the 1992 parliamentary elections, he became speaker of the parliament and acting President of Lithuania on 25 November 1992. He then won the presidential election with 60% of the vote, was confirmed as President on 25 February 1993, and served until 25 February 1998. He decided not to seek reelection, and retire, in 1998 and was succeeded by Valdas Adamkus, who won the 1998 election.