"I can say that the EU directive does not provide for such an exemption. If enforced, it would go against the principles of the Law on Public Procurement," Žydrūnas Plytnikas said at a news conference after meeting with President Dalia Grybauskaitė.
"If such exceptions are made, Lithuania could face certain sanctions or fines from the European Union," he said.
The president's spokeswoman, Daiva Ulbinaitė, said that Grybauskaitė would decide on whether or not to sign the amendment into law at a later date.
"The president will make her decision after assessing all the public comments and analyzing the practice and experience of the EU's member states," she said.
The amendment to the Law on Public Procurement, signed by the Seimas (parliament) last Tuesday, exempts purchases by political parties and participants of political campaigns from the provisions of the law that require that a legal entity receiving more than 50 percent of its funding from the state budget must buy goods and services through public procurement procedures.
