Famous politicians line up to run for mayor, SLD mobilizes ministers

It is not only parties that are preparing for the local-government elections which are scheduled to take place in the fall, but also top politicians have declared they will be running for the post of mayor in the major cities. This will electrify the elections in many cities. In Warsaw, for example, Andrzej Olechowski and Lech Kaczynski, leaders of the Civic Platform (PO) and Law and Justice (PiS) parties are to compete for the post. In Lodz, Jerzy Kropiwnicki, from former Solidarity Electorial Action (AWS), Sejm deputy Marek Markiewicz, and Self-Defense (Samoobrona) leader Andrzej Lepper will be battling it out for the top post. To mention other big names, former Treasury Minister Aldona Kamela-Sowinska will run for mayor of Poznan, leading PO politician Jan Maria Rokita for Krakow, and Wladyslaw Frasyniuk from Freedom Union (UW) for Wroclaw. The Left Democratic Alliance (SLD) are treating the elections very seriously. SLD leader Leszek Miller said on Monday that government ministers would be at the disposal of local election committees, and will visit the constituencies upon demand. (Zycie, p. 3) M.T.