Polish Parliament is debating on presidential amendments to the new vetting or "lustration" law. The latest version of the law, which was accepted in October 2006, was supposed to regulate and accelerate the process of uncloaking communist era spies among the present day public figures. It was to become law as of March 1 this year. But now Polish President Lech Kaczyński wants to introduce amendments.


The October 2006 vetting bill presumed an acceleration of the disclosure of communist secret services documents that are now in the possession of the Institute of National Remembrance. Information on which of today's public figures, journalists, politicians or state officials were collaborators of the communist regime would be made public. It would be up to the Institute of National Remembrance to publish lists of communist era spies and if anyone felt unjustly accused, they could seek rehabilitation in court.

In the presidential project, like in the regulations preceding the October 2006 bill, public persons under examination would first write their own statements in which they would either admit or deny being involved with communist times secret services. Then, the vetting or "lustration" court would verify these statements. The rule of presumption of innocence would be upheld. The presidential amendments also make it precise what kind of involvement is to be treated as conscious, secret collaboration with the communist regime.  

Reactions to the presidential proposal vary. The Parliament has proposed as many as sixty different alterations to the presidential project. The opposition Civic Platform says that the range of the people that would have to undergo the process is too wide, which will make the vetting process unreliable and impossible. Coalition populist party, the Self Defense, supported by the farmer's party have suggested that only original documents and not their copies or microfilm images should be taken into consideration. This, however, is contrary to the opinion of historians who say that copied materials are still valid evidence and should be subject to investigation.

The national Catholic League of Polish Families preferred the previous version of the project, and so announced their intention to veto the presidential project. According to them, the presidential amendments change the new law back to the regulations preceding October 2006, which were not working, as they allowed for the accused to evade justice by prolonging the "lustration" lawsuit ad infinitum. The League of Polish families eventually withdrew the veto, saying that imperfect vetting law is better than no "lustration" at all.

The vote on the corrections to the president's project is expected by the end of this week.