Kwaśniewski says intelligence chief will be confirmed 'competent' in two months

In his interview for radio Trójka President Aleksander Kwaśniewski said he perceives the new head of the Intelligence Agency (AW) Andrzej Ananicz as a competent person. He stressed that, for him, the most important recommendation of Ananicz's abilities were the positive references he received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz. The Minister was personally responsible for appointing Ananicz as the ambassador to Turkey. "I had an opportunity to meet the AW head on Sunday in the Presidential palace gardens. I think that by October it will be confirmed that he is a competent candidate," said Kwaśniewski. As Prime Minister Marek Belka announced that he is going to subject his government to another vote of confidence in October, Kwaśniewski stressed that the government should be evaluated not for personal decisions that have been made but for its general output. The President also commented on recent amendments to the healthcare bill which now require priests to pay for medical treatment, stating that healthcare access should be equal for everyone - provided Poland is ready for such a degree of equality. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 3; Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) D.W.