Lepper threatens strike action, gains new powers at Samoobrona convention

During the 3rd annual convention of the controversial Samoobrona party in Warsaw on Sunday, a majority of the party's 3,000 participants voted the current leader and Sejm deputy Andrzej Lepper into another four-year term as party leader. The convention participants also accepted a party statute which awards the party leader with full control over the party, thus entitling Lepper to single-handedly make the most important decisions, including those on dismissing party members. In his speech, Lepper attacked the Polish Peasants' Party (PSL), the previous government and Polish National Bank (NBP) chancellor Leszek Balcerowicz. He also threatened the current government with strikes and demonstrations, adding that his party is the certain winner in the fall regional government elections. Lepper was also promoting his book, A Stick Has Two Ends. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3; Zycie, p. 5) M.T.K.