Despite heavy media criticism Samoobrona remains a popular party

In the eight months that have passed since the general election, Andrzej Lepper the leader of Samoobrona, has been the most widely covered opposition politician in the media. Although he has received negative media publicity, according to recent opinion polls, it has not done him any harm in the eyes of voters as Samoobrona is now the second most popular party. Lepper's average voter has a primary education, lives in a village and is a farmer who earns up to zl. 300. Following Lepper's attempt last week to occupy the agriculture ministry, Prime Minister Leszek Miller said on Sunday that he would not meet with Andrzej Lepper, because he breaks the law and threatens the democratic order. The Prime Minister added that Lepper has to decide whether he wants to resolve problems through parliament or by occupying public offices. The court that registers political parties has questioned the new statute of Samoobrona, passed by the last party conference, declaring that it is undemocratic because it gives the party leader dictatorial powers. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A6; Zycie, p. 5) P.W.