Rudderless AWS-UW coalition begins negotiations on terms of reconciliation

Poland's Solidarity Election Action (AWS) on Wednesday considered proposing its leader, Marian Krzaklewski, as the country's next Prime Minister to try to end the crisis in the ruling center-right coalition. After the two-week long stalemate, late yesterday evening the representatives of both parties sat down at the negotiation table in the Labor Ministry. AWS wants to sort out the problem of the public media being dominated by the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Polish Peasants Party (PSL) and Freedom Union (UW) and reach a compromise over the budget and tax reform. UW wants to regulate political parties financing laws and dismiss several Sejm commission chiefs. Early yesterday morning Sejm speaker Maciej Plazynski offered to be a go-between in talks and Jan Maria Rokita from National Conservative Alliance (SKL) declared he would not be running for Prime Minister. Despite controversies, Krzaklewski remains the only candidate. (Reuters, Zycie, page 1, Gazeta Wyborcza, page 1) P.S.