A number of MPs from the Polish Peasants Party, the ruling Civic Platform’s junior coalition partner, want to continue with their co-opeation in next year’s general election.
The move comes as some of the junior coalition MPs believe it is the only way to remain in parliament for another term, as the Polish Peasants Party has been hovering around 3-4 percent in opinion polls, less than the 5 percent needed to gain seats in the Sejm lower parliamentary house.
However, coalition parties need only 8 percent to gain seats in the Sejm, hence the coalition partner MPs’ wishes to start in the elections, which would be a guarantee of future political existence for the coming term.
However, officially MPs from the Polish Peasants Party are denying any plans that they could start a joint election campaign with the Civic Platform.
Janusz Piechocinski and Stanislaw Zelichowski, both heavyweights in the Polish Peasants Party, told the Rzeczpospolita daily that such a decision to try and join Civic Platform in next year’s general election will come only after the local government elections, the first round of which are billed for this weekend. (jb)