POLAND: Thousands in rival rallies over Polish crisis

More than 20,000 Poles took part in rival demonstrations in the capital on Saturday (October 7) over whether the ruling conservatives, who are struggling to form a coalition, should call a snap election. Supporters of the biggest opposition party, the centre-right Civic Platform, called on the government to dissolve parliament. "We want to change the methods of administering the country. The parliament should be a serious place, now it's just funny. A circus can be funny; not a parliament, but now we have a circus in the parliament," said a representative from Civic Platform. The conservatives ditched their leftist coalition partners last month in a row over the 2007 budget and a decision to send more troops to Afghanistan. Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski is also under pressure after his top aide was caught on film asking an opposition MP what she wanted in return for switching sides, hinting at possible financial arrangements. Opinion polls show more than 60 percent of Poles believe elections should be held and, according to most surveys, the Civic Platform would win them. At a rival rally, 8,000 supporters of the prime minister and his twin brother Lech Kaczynski, the president, held banners reading "Solidarity in Poland". Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski told a crowd of supporters that he would fight on to stay in power and defend his policies. Police said that unlike fellow EU member, Hungary where anti-government protests in Budapest turned violent, the Warsaw demonstrations were peaceful. Law and Justice came to power in September 2005 on a promise to weed out corruption and instigate a "moral revolution" after a string of scandals during the previous leftist rule. But its alliance with two populist fringe parties has disappointed many Poles. The leftist Self-Defence party quit the coalition last month and the conservatives have failed to form a new majority. Local elections are due in November. Analysts believe the political deadlock could prevent Poland, the biggest ex-communist European Union member, from pushing through economic reforms that are crucial if it is to catch up with richer western EU countries.

ITN Source | October 8, 2006

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