Polish official: Referendum needed on US anti-missile plan

Kiev - A senior Polish official on Thursday cast additional doubt on US hopes to base anti-missile defences in the country, saying Warsaw had not given its final approval of the plan, and suggesting a national referendum on the proposal.

Andrzej Lepper, Polish deputy prime minister, made the remarks during a live interview with the Ukrainian Channel 5 television. He was in the Ukrainian capital Kiev on a private visit, the news channel reported.

The US last month announced a plan to base anti-missile defences in East European countries, among them Poland.

'There is the general opinion that Poland has given its approval (to US anti-missile installations in Poland),' Lepper said. 'But Poland has not officially agreed.'

'It (the US plan) should be decided on in a national referendum,' he said.

A recent nationwide poll showed close to 60 per cent of Poles oppose the US idea, called 'Son of Star Wars' by its critics.

Polish Foreign Minister Anna Fotyga on Tuesday confirmed Polish experts were currently analysing a US proposal to install US National Missile Defence (NMD) bases in Poland, but insisted 'we are not ready to make any decision.'

The US has suggested building ten so-called missile shield bases in EU and NATO member Poland, and an unspecified number of radar stations in the Czech Republic.

Source:http:news.monstersandcritics.com