Government to break constitutional deadline for presenting budget in Sejm

Citing "extraordinary circumstances", the government decided late Friday night to delay sending the budget to Sejm. Instead of the constitutionally set date of Sept. 30 the budget draft will be delivered to parliament by Oct. 15. "The government can postpone handing the budget to Sejm due to "extraordinary circumstances" though these must really be events of great importance. The government now must provide convincing arguments," said constitutional law professor Piotr Winczorek. A top government official said behind the decision was Sejm's rejection of the VAT bill amendment on Friday, which would otherwise have provided over a billion zlotys to next year's budget. If the government's explanations for the delay are not convincing the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister would face the constitutional court. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 1,22)