NSA rules all Warsaw Gmina Centrum decisions since mid-May illegal

The Supreme Administrative Court (NSA) ruled on Friday to uphold the decision to annul Warsaw gmina Centrum council decision to appoint the mayor and added that beginning May 18, the biggest gmina in Warsaw had no authority. The row goes back to Apr. 6, when the councillors from Freedom Union (UW) and Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) teamed up and appointed their own mayor Jan Wieteska from SLD. The meeting was later deemed illegal by the voivod and sent before the NSA. Consequently, all other decisions taken by the council are invalid from a legal point of view, which covers tenders, property sales and even drivers licenses and IDs issued after May 18. The court ordered the Prime Minister to call an election in the municipality by August 18, although Warsaw president Pawel Piskorski believes they should be held simultaneously with the Presidential election in October to secure a high voter turnout. For the time being, the Prime Minister must appoint a caretaker to wield the executive power until the new mayor is elected. NSA is yet to decide about the legal grounds for the Prime Minister's appointment of an administrator last month. (Rzeczpospolita, July 8-9 page 1, C1, Prawo i Gospodarka, July 8-9, page 1, 9) P.S.