Every associated member will have one vote in future annual conferences of the Lithuanian Jewish Community. This was the verdict issued this week by the Vilnius District Court in a suit on future representation within the LJC.

The LJC followed this order of voting in elections last year and this year according to the Lithuanian law on associations, ballots which chose the leadership of the organization and confirmed annual financial and activities reports.

LJC chairwoman Faina Kukliansky said: “The Lithuanian Jewish Community in its activities is based on law and the clear verdict by the court allows us to finally solve the issue regarding decision-making by the board and member representation at the conference. I hope this will facilitate cooperation in our common work because hindering governance organs from carrying out their work and the campaign of libel are not the proper measures which should be undertaken in the stated interest of concern for Jews. Now, having a decision from appellate court, I invite all organizations constituting the Community to consider how to heal discord among Jews and how to look for ways towards consensus.”

According to section 4, article 8 of the law on associations, every member of an association, despite its number of members, has one vote in a general assembly (conference), thus insuring the equality of all association members and an equal vote.

At the same time, the regulations of the LJC call for a proportional vote by regional communities. The LJC board, perceiving a contradiction between the rules and the law, and in aspiring towards greater transparency, resolved at the April 19, 2017, meeting of the board to enshrine the principle of one member, one vote.

The Vilnius District Court recognized the principle of one member, one vote in their verdict of November 22, 2017, and announced point 7.1 of the LJC regulations on the proportional representation of regional Jewish communities at the LJC voting conference null and void.

Afterwards, the Jewish communities of Vilnius, Klaipėda, Ukmergė and Šiauliai appealed this decision, but the court ruling in the case based on law declined to retry the case. This ruling came into effect on April 18, 2018, but was again appealed to the Vilnius District Court. The appeal to this court on June 12 was rejected with a final ruling on representation among associated members of the Lithuanian Jewish Community.