Poland’s Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński said that the “political initiative” concerning vetting after Friday’s verdict of the Constitutional Tribunal is to be taken by the President.The PM believes that “the only option left is to open to the public all the files stored in IPN’s archives,” and that he himself opts for this solution.
“I suggest solving it by means of passing this act under constitutional process, and if the constitution experts question this method, I suggest making a small amendment to the constitution so that the act has a special foundation within the constitution and to exclude the Tribunal in this case,” said PM Kaczyński.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the President’s initiative “is not specified yet”, and that declarations of the representatives of other parties are “contradictory”.
On Friday the Constitutional Tribunal questioned some of the regulations of the vetting law, among others, publishing agents’ catalogues by the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) as well as vetting of journalists and workers of non-public schools.
President Lech Kaczyński announced consultations with the parties and invited the parliamentary clubs’ leaders for talks about vetting on Wednesday.
Maciej Łopiński form the Presidential Office said that the President wants to become acquainted with largest parties’ standings concerning the situation after the Tribunal’s verdict.
He stressed that vetting in Poland is absolutely necessary and essential and that is why it should be considered how to implement the vetting process so that it won’t be questioned.
Constitution expert Piotr Winczorek said, however, that passing the vetting law as a constitutional act would mean corrupting the law.
“If the idea of passing this law under constitutional process is accepted, the constitution would be ruined”, said Winczorek. “For the purpose of settling a single case the constitutional order would be demolished,” he said.
(jm)