The growing list of Polish politicians joining rival parties in the lead up to Poland’s elections on October 21 was added to today when Maciej Plazynski – one of the co-founders of the opposition Civic Platform (PO) – announced that he will stand as the principle Law and Justice (PiS) candidate in the Gdansk constituency.

According to PM Jarosław Kaczyński, Plażyński’s decision may help to overcome the political stalemate anticipated after the elections.

During a press conference Płażyński said that a PiS victory may facilitate a PO-PiS coalition after the elections and will hinder a possible alliance between PO and the mainly post-communist Left and Democrats (LiD).

He added that in spite of the fact that he used to be a member of PO he did not decide to run as their candidate because he is concerned with the signs of his old party coming closer to the Left.

He revealed also that Civic Platform asked him to stand as a nr 1 candidate in Gdańsk.

Although he will be a PiS candidate, Płażyński has not joined the party. He explained he would like to participate in the Polish political scene after the elections but he denied that he is to create a new political party with Lech Wałesa.

Apart from Płażyński, three other former members of the now defunct conservative Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS) party: Longin Komołowski, Mirosław Kukliński and Grzegorz Piechowiak are to run as PiS candidates in the parliamentary elections.

Płażyński is the latest politician to switch sides in the last couple of weeks.

The government’s former defence minister, Radek Sikorski announced that he will be standing for the opposition Civic Platform, as did a number of former government members.

And last week former prime minister under the post-communist SLD government, Leszek Miller, announced that he will be standing for Andzrej Lepper’s Self defence party after being left off the electoral lists by the Left and Democrats. (photo: senate.gov)