Self Defense leader at regional party conference

The leader of Self-Defense Andrzej Lepper who participated in his party's regional conference in the Lubelskie voivodship said that the most important thing is the quality of party members and not their number. All those who did not follow his demands of quitting regional (Sejmik) governing alliances with the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) or ignoring party discipline, were not admitted to the conference. "We accept such rules in order to avoid the situation of Solidarność. They once had 10 million members and now they are ashamed of their own logo," said Lepper. The conference affirmed the decision of the leadership to expel Konrad Rękas and Agnieszka Kowal from the party, as they remained in a coalition with the SLD when Self-Defense told them to quit. "We could not leave the coalition just like that without creating an alternative council which could rule, otherwise the region would have been harmed," said Rękas. The conference was closed to the press and none of its decisions were publicized, although after the deliberations finished a press conference was held. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 8) M.M.