Sejm rejects draft law on monuments after controversial AWS amendment

After a heated debate the Sejm yesterday rejected a draft law on national remembrance monuments. The bill, originally prepared by the government, specifies the way in which historic monuments should be protected. However, during the discussion Solidarity Election Action (AWS) added a controversial amendment to the bill calling for all relics of communism and communist party leaders to be administratively abolished. "Symbols of communist dictatorship and treason are not a traditional part of Poland," said Culture Minister Kazimierz M. Ujazdowski. Freedom Union (UW) deputy Wlodzimierz Puzyna replied that until now this matter was left for local governments to decide. "Is it really necessary to rush the nation?" he asked. The Democratic Left Allia nce (SLD) agreed. SLD leader Leszek Miller said, "This bill limits the power of local governments and I do not care much about what the AWS deputies think about it." In the end, SLD and UW deputies voted against the bill. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 4) T.J.