Failure to dissolve government could mean months of political torpor

If the whole opposition took part in the voting, it would only account for 249 votes. The parties which are against the motion are the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) which numbers 150 deputies, Labor Union (UP) with 12 mandates and the party controlled by Roman Jagieliński with 11 mandates. The SLD which has been unable to make up its mind for the past few months whether to choose June or September elections, finally decided yesterday not to cut short its term of office. If the Sejm rejects the motion today, Prime Minister Marek Belka will resign from the government. President Aleksander Kwaśniewski will most probably choose not to accept the resignation. This would result in parliamentary and presidential elections both taking place in the middle of September. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1) A.K.