Politics in Brief: EU Committee; Rokita and Lepper; Hojarska gets 18 months

A second vote in the Sejm has failed to find a head for the Sejm Committee for EU Affairs. Although there is a general agreement that the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) candidate should take the job, Leszek Miller stood down as the SLD candidate after his second failure to win outright. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 7) ... Jan Rokita, head of the Civic Platform, issued various 'uncivilized' epithets from speaker's stand to describe Andrzej Lepper, head of Samoobrona (Self-Defense), who in turn accused Rokita's wife of being involved in the PZU Życie scandal. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p.7) ... Danuta Hojarska, a Self-Defense deputy, has been found guilty of appropriating agricultural equipment. She was sentenced to 18 months in prison and must also repay a bank loan of zł.48,000. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 7) J.J.