Roman Giertych (LPR) and below right, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Former prime minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski has waived his parliamentary immunity in a bid to tackle a libel case brought against hum by his former deputy prime minister.

Kaczynski is being sued for defamation by catholic-nationalist Roman Giertych, who served as deputy prime minister and education minister in the Law and Justice-led coalition during 2006-2007.

Kaczynski entered into a coalition with Giertych's League of Polish Families (LPR) and Andrzej Lepper’s SelfDefence party when talks broke down with the more centrist Civic Platform.

In 2010, Giertych gave an interview for the Rzeczpospolita daily, in which he accused Kaczynski of digging up scurrilous tales about his political rivals whilst he served as prime minister. Giertych alleges that leaks to the press in an attempt to weaken his coalition partners.

Kaczynski sued Giertych, who now works as a lawyer, for libel. Giertych then launched counter claims.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski has now sent a formal letter speaker of parliament Grzegorz Schetyna, rescinding his immunity, avoiding the matter going to a parliamentary vote.

In an interview with Polish Radio this morning, Mariusz Blaszczuk, the head of Law and Justice's political party, said that the legal case was an by Giertych “to create a spectacle”.

“A parliamentary commission looking into so called 'political pressure' has been operating for three years, but they have not found anything, because there was no pressure [put on Kaczynski’s former allies in government],” he claims.

Meanwhile, Giertych, who has been out of parliament since the 2007 election, claims that other politicians will back up his allegations. Amongst potential witnesses are former Interior Minister Janusz Kaczmarek and Andrzej Lepper. (nh/pg)