Andrzej Olechowski has thrown his hat into the ring as an independent candidate in next year’s presidential election.
The former foreign minister - and co-founder of the Civic Platform party - said that he decided to take part in the presidential race in order to change Poland and to be an alternative to a potential two-horse race of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and incumbent president, Lech Kaczynski.
“Politics in Poland needs to be directed to a different course because currently it depends too much on a power game,” said Olechowski today and added that he wants Poles to believe that their votes and opinions are respected and have an impact on politics.
Olechowski was expected to run for the post of president on behalf of the Democratic Party but decided to become an independent candidate because, in his opinion, it guarantees political independence of the post of president.
Never say never again
Olechowski participated in the 2000 presidential election, also as an independent candidate but was defeated by Aleksander Kwasniewski. After the defeat Olechowski moved away from politics and announced that he would never run for presidency again.
“Seven years outside politics is an equivalent to “never,” is how Olechowski explained his sudden change of decision.
Olechowski said that he might withdraw from the presidential race only if there is a strong centre-leftist candidate, able to defeat Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Lech Kaczynski.
So far two parties have officially named their candidates: the Democratic Left Alliance chose Jerzy Szmajdzinski, a former defence minister, and the Social Democracy of Poland, which, together with the Democratic Party chose Tomasz Nalecz, who is a historian, former vice-Speaker of the Sejm. (mg)
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