Ryszard Kaczorowski, Poland’s last president-in-exile, has refused to sign a vetting statement declaring that he never cooperated with the communist secret services.

Kaczorowski has been nominated to sit on the state-run Council for the Protection of Remembrance of Struggle and Martyrdom. Under Polish law, all public officials must sign the vetting statement.

“I see no reason to sign such a declaration,” said Kaczorowski, who served in London as the last president-in-exile from 1988 to 1989, a post created as part of Poland’s government-in-exile which existed from the Nazi occupation of Poland till the end of communism, twenty years ago.

Despite his refusal to be vetted, Prime Minister Donald Tusk has accepted his nomination from the Ministry of Culture.

“During the time in question I was in exile in London and had no contact with the secret services,” the 90 year-old Kaczorowski  - who already sits on the council and has been nominated to sit for a second term - told Poland’s public television, TVP.

“If I am required to sign the declaration then I will resign my work on the council,” he said.

Andrzej Przewoznik, who leads the council said that it was true that each member had to be vetted but refused to comment on individual cases.

The last prominent politician to refuse to sign the vetting declaration was the late MEP and former foreign minister Bronislaw Geremek. (pg)