Lepper to lose position as deputy speaker after insulting Foreign Minister

Samoobrona party leader Andrzej Lepper has refused Sejm speaker Marek Borows ki's request that Lepper resign by yesterday at 8 p.m. from the office of de puty speaker. The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) and Civic Platform (PO) par ties announced the submission of a petition to recall Lepper from his positi on, and Speaker Borowski promised to do everything to enter the petition int o today's agenda. Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz rejected Lepper's apology for an incident in which Lepper referred to the Minister as "scum." Meanwhile, the belief that Andrzej Lepper and his Samoobrona party are popul ist and represent the poorest members of society was cast into doubt, as Gaz eta Wyborcza reported that of the rookie deputies who are millionaires, nine of them are in Samoobrona - more than any other single party. (Rzeczpospolit a, p. A1, Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 4), M.T.