US embassy cable - 05WARSAW1204

UNCLAS WARSAW 001204 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, PINR, PL, Polish Elections 
SUBJECT: POLISH PM PRESSES FOR JUNE ELECTIONS, DEFERS 
ANNOUNCEMENT ON OWN FUTURE 
 
REF: WARSAW 1126 
 
1. (SBU) In a much-anticipated address March 3, Polish Prime 
Minister Marek Belka underscored his determination to seek 
the dissolution of parliament May 5, clearing the way for new 
elections June 19, but said that he would not decide on his 
own political future (i.e., whether to abandon the governing 
SLD for the nascent Democratic Party, or PD) until after the 
vote on dissolution.  Following his address, Freedom Union 
(UW) leader and PD founding member Wladyslaw Frasyniuk 
announced that he is now convinced that Belka will join PD, 
despite the lack of a clear statement from the prime 
minister.  Belka also stated that the Polish referendum on 
the EU constitution should be held together with the first 
round of presidential elections September 26. 
 
2. (SBU) Although Belka did not -- as some expected he would 
-- spell out his political plans, he did make clear that his 
sympathies are with the new centrist party.  Belka explained 
that he was not surprised that PD organizers had invited him 
to join them, maintaining that he has tried throughout his 
own government's tenure to implement a program very close to 
that advocated by the PD founders.  The prime minister 
praised PD for defending and being proud of what has been 
achieved in the past fifteen years, drawing a sharp contrast 
with the pessimistic vision of those on the right who argue 
for sweeping reforms. 
 
3. (SBU) Belka argued forcefully that the parliament's term 
must be shortened, drawing attention to the already-heated 
political climate (he made his remarks immediately after 
participating in a boisterous parliamentary debate of a 
non-binding measure calling for his resignation) and its 
effect on the government's ability to advance its legislative 
agenda.  He pledged to do everything he could to ensure that 
the parliament votes to dissolve itself on May 5.  President 
Kwasniewski afterwards endorsed both the June parliamentary 
date and the proposal to hold the EU referendum together with 
the presidential vote. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment: Belka's caution regarding his own 
intentions was to be expected, as he neither wants to provoke 
a reaction from the SLD, nor does he need to do more now than 
signal that he is disassociating himself from the governing 
party and lending moral support to this new centrist 
formation. 
ASHE