Election 2011 – 'Poles deserve more'

Jaroslaw Kasczynski at party rally; photo - PAP/Bartłomiej Zborowski

The conservative opposition Law and Justice, currently trailing the centre-right ruling Civic Platform in the opinion polls, held an electoral convention in the south western city of Wrocław to name candidates topping electoral lists for both houses of parliament.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski told the party faithful that he would deliver more than the Civic Platform-led government had over the past four years: more justice, truth, integrity, security, and wiser management of state funds.

“Instead of coming closer to the West, the country subjects itself to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin of Russia,” Kaczynski said of Prime Minister Donald Tusk's foreign policy.

“Instead of efforts to make up for the backlog in societal development, we have a propaganda of success,” he added.

“There are no poor countries, only poorly run ones,” said the politician, claiming that the government’s incompetence posed a threat to Poland’s development.

The head of the Law and Justice boasted wide support for Law and Justice, from both academic circles and Church officials, including prominent bishops Henryk Gulbinowicz and Ignacy Dec.

Kaczynski said that he will reject Prime Minisyer Tusk's call for TV debates between the two party leaders until Civic Platform publish their policy manifesto.

“The debate about debates is over,” he said.

Meanwhile, Civic Platform's education minister Katarzyna Hall is gearing up today for an online Q & A session with voters at Warsaw’s Press Center.

She is the second Civic Platform member to take part in a “grass -roots cross-examination” following a session with Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski. (pg/ab)