Tuesday, March 04, 2008

MEP Geremek refuses again to undergo vetting

The Speaker of the Lower House Bronislaw Komorowski has criticised Polish European parliament deputy (MEP) Professor Bronislaw Geremek for his refusal to undergo the so-called vetting procedure.

Bronislaw Geremek told the TVN24 channel yesterday that he would not undergo the vetting process and, like a year ago, he would not submit his ‘lustration’ form, as required by the Polish Lustration Law.

Geremek refused any further comments and only said that the matter was his “private business”.

Members of the European parliament rallied to Geremek’s support last year after the then Polish government led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski threatened to recall the MEP back to Warsaw and strip him of his seat. Eventually, however, the lustration law was deemed unconstitutional by the Constitutional Tribunal.

Bronislaw Komorowski told Polish Radio One Tuesday morning that Western politicians were critical of the Polish Lustration Law, because they did not fully understand the rationale behind the vetting procedure.

The present government led by Civic Platform are currently drawing up another lustration law which will require all elected politicians to disclose any contact they made with the communist secret services.
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