Controversial appointment of Gmina Centrum Commissioner is declared legal

The Interior Ministry and some deputies from the ruling Solidarity Election Action (AWS) have said the appointment of a commissioner to administer the Warsaw borough of Gmina Centrum was done in strict accordance with the law. The deputies cited 12 times in the last ten years when 12 different Prime Ministers appointed commissioners to run the Gmina. AWS does not understand why the latest appointment sparked so much controversy, causing the collapse of its coalition with Freedom Union (UW). Members of Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and UW, who forged a coalition at local government level to run the Gmina, have rejected the Ministry's position saying it is an attempt by AWS to hijack royalties from high-profile investments in Gmina. (Rzeczpospolita, June 10-11, page A2) S.M.