Warsaw Poland's President Contests Loss Of Mandate

Warsaw, Poland 23 January 2007 The President of Warsaw, Poland, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Walcz, is contesting the application of election laws that may cause her to lose her postilion and have to face elections again because of conflicting and confusing Polish election laws.

There are two election laws that apply to the local elections that were held this past fall. One is the Local Government Law and the other is the Local Government Election Law. They are inconsistent.

One law requires, among other things, that a winning candidate file financial statements within 30 days of having won the election. The other law requires that the winning candidate file financial statements within 30 days of taking office. Because one does not take office until a period after the election, the filing periods are different.

In the case of Hanna Gronkiewicz-Walcz, she filed her statements within the allotted period for both laws. But she filed her husband's financial statements within 30 days of having taken office and that was two days late if one uses the benchmark of 30 days of having won the election.

Additionally, one of the laws says that if a winner violates a provision requiring a filing, he is subjected to an unspecified penalty. The other law says that the winner is subject to losing his mandate.

While contesting the lack of clarity, Gronkiewicz-Walcz further argues that in any case the election law does not apply to her husband and his financial statement because her husband did not have a business registered in Warsaw.

Once again the law is unclear because even though he neither has a business registered nor an office in Warsaw, if he had any business dealings in Warsaw at all, some people claim that he was doing business in Warsaw and as such was required to file a financial statement.

There are some 33 Presidents and senior officials in cities around Poland who have also violated the election law as to filing financial statements. There are also a large number of lesser officials who have the same problem.

The decision as to whether Gronkiewicz-Walcz has to face election or not will be made by a regional government board that is dominated by people from her political party, Civic Platform, and the leftist Party, SLD. If they vote in her favor, she will not have to go back to the polls.

Immediately after her election victory she thanked the SLD for their support and made places for some of their people on the Warsaw City Board. It is expected that the SLD will recognize her good will and will support her.

Commentators and politicians, with exception of politicians from Law and Justice, whose candidate she defeated, say the law is bad and that it should be changed. Others say that it should be sent before the Constitutional Tribunal for a ruling.

Although Gronkiewicz-Walcz may succeed in getting support and not have to face election again, the status of the other officials around the country remains open and will not be settled until the law is changed or a ruling is made by the Constitutional Tribunal.
Source:freshplaza.com