SLD becomes largest grouping in Sejm without even having to win elections

As of yesterday, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) is the largest political group in the Sejm, as many deputies continue to leave the sinking ship of the ruling Solidarity Election Action (AWS). Eighteen deputies from the National Conservative Alliance (SKL) recently left AWS to join the Civic Platform (PO), which thus far did not have a parliamentary caucus of its own, but could now form one. After the 1997 elections, AWS had considerable advantage over SLD in the Sejm, with 201 seats to 164. Since then 44 deputies have left the former, while the leftist alliance only shrank by three members. "This is a discomfort for an anti-Communist, [although] this really has only symbolic meaning, as we should be able to win votes thanks to support from SKL and the Freedom Union (UW)," said Mariusz Kaminski, leader of the Republican League, part of AWS. Even further breakdown of AWS is a possibility, say its politicians off the record. (Zycie, p.5) T.J.