UP pushes back PM candidate deadline in bid to win over anti-Belka Peasants

The Labor Union (UP) has succeeded in pushing back the deadline for the submission of candidates for the post of prime minister to Friday. The UP hopes this will spur the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) into putting forward an alternative candidate to Marek Belka and thus obtain support from the Polish Peasants Party (PSL), which is allegedly willing to vote for anyone other than Belka. When faced with the news, Krzysztof Janik, the SLD leader, asserted his party would not withdraw its support for Belka. However, the party still convened a meeting yesterday to discuss the matter. It is possible that the PSL will still put forward their own man for the job, with Rzeczpospolita tipping ex-Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak and ex-speaker Józef Zych as the most likely PSL candidates. (Rzeczpospolita p.A5) M.G.