Lithuania's Skvernelis says he might stay on as PM

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuanian Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis on Friday suggested he may remain in his post after earlier saying he would quit in July following his defeat in the first round of the presidential election in mid-May.

Speaking after his first meeting with Gitanas Nauseda, elected president in the May 26 run-off, Skvernelis said he would make a decision on his future on July 12, when Nauseda officially takes office.

“The decision will be made on July 12,” Skvernelis told reporters. After failing to advance beyond the first round in the presidential vote, Skvernelis had initially pledged to resign on inauguration day. He did not say why he had postponed his decision.

Skvernelis came third in the first ballot with the run-off vote between Ingrida Simonyte, a former finance minister, and Nauseda, an economist.

He said at the time that he wanted to be president, a semi-executive position, in order to support his parliamentary coalition, which faces a general election in 2020.

If Skvernelis resigns, the president can pick a care-taker prime minister until the president and parliament agree on a new government.