SLD takes all the spoils as voters scarce on the ground in Senat by-elections

Left Democratic Alliance (SLD) members won all three by-elections held on the weekend for the upper chamber (Senat) of the Sejm, thus increasing the overall number of SLD representatives in the Senat to 29 out of 100. Turnout for the by-elections was poor, with the three voivodships only recording between 3.17% and 6.66% of the electorate casting ballots. Solidarity Election Action (AWS) spokesperson Piotr Zak says it is democracy, not AWS, which has lost badly. "The lower the turnout during an election the greater the gains of former communist politicians, as their electorate is more disciplined," he said and accused the media of discouraging people from participating in the elections by telling them the situation cannot be improved. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 6) J.K.