Poland faces week of wrangling

Press, 1 August 1989, Page 8

Poland faces week of wrangling

NZPA-Reuter Warsaw Poland faces a tough week of political arguments, with the new Communist Party chief, Mieczyslaw Rakowski, expected to step down as Prime Minister but with no clear indication of who will form the new Government. Poland’s Sejm (Parliament) started a twoday session yesterday to discuss Mr Rakowski’s resignation and debate plans to peg wages, at least partially, to inflation nearing 100 per cent. “The agenda may be expanded, depending on the course of consultations for the office of prime minister," the official PAP news agency said, implying there was no final decision yet on who would be nominated to succeed Mr Rakowski with powers to name a Cabinet.

Mr Rakowski, aged 62, is expected to come under fire in the Sejm for his Government’s economic record in its 10 months in office. As one of its last acts, Mr Rakowski’s Cabinet on Sunday announced details of a scheme allowing food prices to treble to ease shortages, cut an enormous budget deficit and brake inflation. Critics said riots could break out against the rises. General Wojciech Jaruzelski, who passed the party reins to Mr Rakowski on Saturday, has the right in his new job as President of Poland to nominate a candidate for the premiership. The Sejm then votes on the candidate. But he has stalled as he tries to persuade the Solidarity trade union opposition to join a coalition. The movement says its defeat of Commun-

ists in June elections gives it the right to rule alone. Potential candidates for prime minister include the Interior Minister, Czeslaw Kiszczak, the Peasant Party chief, Roman Malinowski, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Ireneusz Sekula, political sources say. General Jaruzelski said after quitting as party chief he regretted failing to assemble a broad-based team. “I have not lost hope and will continue my efforts to expand the basis of governing so that it becomes pluralistic,” he said. But the Solidarity leader, Lech Walesa, said his movement would not join a coalition and again demanded all or nothing. “If we are puppets with the worst portfolios we will achieve nothing except lose public confidence,” he said.