PSL member, Bogdan Pek, leaves in protest at party's dependence on SLD

In a spectacular move, Bogdan Pek of the Polish Peasants Party (PSL) left the party and accused his former colleagues of becoming dependent on the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). "This is an ultimate and irrevocable decision," Pek said. He added that the authorities of PSL "are leading the party astray". Pek, who recently took the side of the opposition against Sejm speaker Marek Borowski and openly contested the privatization of STOEN, said he would found a new party based on Christian democratic principles. It is not yet known how many MPs will be willing to join the new player on the scene. According to insiders, the decision of the dissenting MP came as no surprise as he had obstructed the work of the party for some time. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3, Zycie, p.1) J.K.