The State Election Commission has rejected the registration of Andrzej Lepper as a candidate for the presidential elections on 20 June due to his criminal record.

The Election Commission says Andrzej Lepper is ineligible to stand in the election as he was guilty of slandering politicians in 2001, including Donald Tusk, Jerzy Szmajdzinski, Pawel Piskorski, Andrzej Olechowski and Wlodzimierz Cimosiewicz.

Andrzej Lepper was charged with premeditated slander and was handed a five-year suspended sentence. Consequently, the National Election Commission has rejected the former deputy prime minister’s application to stand in the presidential elections.

“This decision does not concern me - of course, it concerns my persona but not me [as an individual],” a seemingly bewildered Lepper told Polskie Radio.

The candidate for the Self Defence party underlined that the Election Commission has listed him being indicted under Article 226, which refers to crimes against public institutions. Lepper categorically denies this, adding that the Constitutional Tribunal itself passed a motion that it is unconstitutional.

Lepper - who is also appealing a prison sentence after being convicted of sexual harassment of a party employee - was a highly controversial agricultural minister in the previous Law and Justice government until being thrown out of the ruling coalition following accusations of corruption over a land deal. (jb/pg)