The governing board of Civic Platform has recommended its parliamentary party leader, Grzegorz Schetyna, to become Speaker of the Sejm, the lower parliamentary house, after the position becomes vacant by Bronislaw Komorowski, the president-elect.
Civic Platform (PO) politician, Slawomir Nitras informed journalists on the decision Monday evening, adding that a meeting between PM Tusk and junior coalition partner Waldemar Pawlak will take place today, Tuesday, over the decision.
Grzegorz Schetyna, who is currently head of the PO parliamentary club, may possibly take over the role of speaker by the end of the week. Other candidates mentioned for the position included health minister Ewa Kopacz and culture minister Bogdan Zdrojewski.
Left in agreement
The Democratic Left Alliance has supported Civic Platform’s nomination. The move was confirmed by Katarzyna Piekarska, the deputy head of the party, Tuesday morning.
Questions now arise as to the coalition government made up of Civic Platform and the Polish Peasants Party, whose leader Waldemar Pawlak gained just under 2 percent of the ballot in the first round of elections on June 20.
Following Grzegorz Napieralski’s strong result in the first round of elections, in which the leftist candidate gained 14 percent, there is media speculation that the Democratic Left Alliance has aspirations to become Civic Platform’s junior coalition partner, ousting the Polish Peasants Party from the position.
However, “this government must follow through to the end,” Piekarska from the Democratic Left Alliance told journalists, adding that “entering any political agreement with Civic Platform towards the end of the [governmental] term would be a grave mistake.”
Furthermore, Piekarska told media that “Napieralski is a very talented politician […] he may well become Prime Minister in the next [general] elections [billed for 2011], not just a deputy.” (jb)
Source: IAR/TVN24
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