SLD and PSL seeking referendum on property confiscated by Communists

SLD and PSL seeking referendum on property confiscated by Communists The Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), supported by the Polish Peasant Party (PSL), called on Monday for a nationwide referendum on the proposal to return property seized during the pre-1989 communist era to its former owners. The coalition collected 571,000 signatures from supporters of a referendum. SLD maintains that Poland is not able to afford the large-scale compensation to former owners proposed in the government bill, which is now being considered by Parliament.They want a referendum to decide whether former owners should receive their actual property whenever possible, as the government proposes, or much smaller compensation in the form of coupons exchangeable for shares of privatized companies. The proposal now requires approval by the Sejm. Supporters of the referendum command 187 votes in the 460-seat house, but their opponents are known for a frequent lack of predictability. The government, led by Solidarity Election Action (AWS), sees the legislation as an act of historic justice, and accuses SLD of making reprivatization an issue in its parliamentary election campaign.(Gazeta Wyborcza)