Letter to Sejm speaker demands action to improve behavior of deputies

Senior figures in citizens' rights and government watchdog organizations have written to Sejm speaker Marek Borowski, criticizing the behavior of deputies. The letter, signed by citizens' rights spokesman Andrzej Zoll, children's rights spokesman Pawel Jaros, president of the Constitutional Tribunal Marek Safjan and Supreme Board of Inspection (NIK) chief Miroslaw Sekula, demands action to halt the increasing contempt and lack of tolerance demonstrated in the Sejm. The letter follows recent incidents when a number of deputies were openly rude to National Bank of Poland (NBP) governor Leszek Balcerowicz and National Remembrance Institute (IPN) president Leon Kieres during their appearances before Parliament. The Sejm Presidium has asked the Ethics Commission to investigate the derogatory comments made by Samoobrona and Polish Families League (LPR) representatives. The seve n-member Ethics Commission can either warn or reprimand insubordinate deputies. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 8; Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) M.T.K.