http://www2.polskieradio.pl/eo/dokument.aspx?iid=68367

Former PM changes sides in Polish election battle?

24.09.2007
Confused messages emerged Monday morning as to whether former Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz has changed party allegiance and is now supporting the opposition in the forthcoming elections in Poland.

Candidate for the opposition Civic Platform (PO) in Krakow, Jaroslaw Gowin, has told the Polish Radio news agency that former prime minister in the current Law and Justice government in Poland, Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, will be the ‘face of his election campaign in Krakow’.

Marcinkiewicz served as Prime Minister of Poland from October 2005 to July 2006.

Later this morning on TVN 24, however, Marcinkiewicz has said that he is ‘not interested in campaigning for any political party in Poland’, only that he will be supporting his friends in the weeks ahead, Gowin being one of them.

Marcinkiewicz said he thinks a coalition between the ruling Law and Justice and the opposition Civic Platform would make the best government for Poland.

Marcinkiewicz tendered his resignation as PM following speculation of a rift between himself and party leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

He was later the Law and Justice candidate for mayor of Warsaw in local elections last year.

He is now working as a director for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

Two weeks ago former Defense Minister in the Kaczynski government, Radek Sikorski, announced that he would be standing for parliament for the opposition Civic Platform. (photo: wikicommons)