The speaker of the Senate Bogdan Borusewicz said that the celebrations connected with the anniversary of the first partially free elections of June 4, 1989 should take place in the Baltic port city of Gdansk.

One of the leaders of the strikes of 1980 regards the idea of moving the commemorative event to the southern city of Krakow as wrong. The government cannot give in to the blackmail of the trade unionists, he said this morning in Polish Radio. "Personally I think we should not yield to any blackmailing in this matter. The decision cannot be changed as a result of the blackmail of  a group of people".   

Borusewicz also expressed his confidence that PM Doland Tusk will share his view and the commemorative event will take place in Gdansk.

On June 4, 1989, for the first time after World War Two, Poles took part in what were partially-free parliamentary elections. Solidarity scored a landslide victory, winning all the seats that it was allowed to contest. 

Leading European politicians have earlier been invoted to Gdansk to mark the occasion. Now the government decided the main celebrations are be moved to Krakow from Gdansk, in the wake of plans by the Solidarity Trade Union to stage a nationwide protest against political elites on the same day - June 4. (di)