RIGA, Dec. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Lithuania's President Rolandas Paksas was urged again to resign on Tuesday after the country's highest court ruled he violated the constitution by granting citizenship to a Russian businessman who funded his presidential election campaign.

    Parliament Chairman Arturas Paulauskas said he hoped the court ruling would help the president to make up his mind to resign, reports from the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius said.

    Lithuania's Constitutional Court ruled earlier in Tuesday that Paksas acted illegally in April by granting citizenship to Yuri Borisov, a native Russian allegedly linked with Russia's organizedcrime groups.

    Borisov, boss of Lithuania's helicopter repair company, donated1.2 million litas (400,000 US dollars) to Paksas' election campaign last year. He is accused of blackmailing the president and illegally selling helicopter parts to Sudan.

    Speaking on Tuesday shortly before the court announced its decision, Paksas reiterated that he would not resign even if the court found him guilty.

    The court decision provides the legal backing for Lithuanian parliamentary impeachment proceedings against Paksas who is accused of violating the constitution, his presidential oath and the law.

    On Dec. 18, the parliament set up a special impeachment commission to investigate the charges and will hand in its report before Feb. 13, 2004.

    On Oct. 30, Lithuania's Independent TV station disclosed that some presidential staff had ties to international organized crime and the president was threatened by a donor to his presidential campaign. Enditem