Ruling coalition dividing, conquering

As planned changes in election regulations approach, changes which give preference to election blocks, Jan Rokita of Civil Platform (PO) comments: "If this awful trick is introduced for the coming local government elections, it is very probable that PO will try to create an election block with the Polish Peasants' Party (PSL), similar to the one created by Law and Justice (PiS), League of Polish Families (LPR) and Self-Defense". "We also have to look for partners", declared Jan Bury from the Polish Peasants' Party. Despite suggestions by politicians of the ruling Law and Justice party, there will be no coalition between the Civic Platform and the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD). "There are no talks and there will certainly be no coalition with PO. It is a conservative and neo-liberal party. We are a central left party and we do not fit together", ensured Ryszard Kalisz from the Democratic Left Alliance. "It is only on the other side of politics where such grotesque and extravagant coalitions like this one with Lepper and Kaczyński are possible", commented Jan Rokita. "We are people who stick to certain principles", he added. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p.5; Rzeczpospolita, p.A3) E.B.