Shock wave rumbles across the SLD

According to a front page story in the daily, Marek Borowkski spent Friday night discussing various details with his group and they drafted documents to register a new party. The news polarized opinions in the party. Józef Oleksy appears to believe that party unity can be maintained, while some lower ranking party members are calling for Borowski to be expelled if he takes any active steps which might harm the SLD. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Miller appealed for unity, arguing that the party is in a better condition than popularly perceived and that a split would not benefit anyone. Opposition deputies have latched on to the conflict and maintain that it means that the coalition has lost its mandate to rule. If Borowski does lead a brakeaway faction of deputies the call for a general election still this year, may become unstoppable. (Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 2, 4, 5) D.W.