Cimoszewicz new Sejm Speaker
Today, Poland’s parliament narrowly elected Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz as Sejm speaker after his predecessor, Jósef Oleksy, resigned over allegations he was once a communist secret service informer.
Though only a few months remain in the Sejm’s session, Cimoszewicz said “this time must not be wasted.” He added that despite this year being an election year, that doesn’t mean that “all the country’s other problems should be pushed to the side.”
Cimoszewicz, a member of the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), was prime minister from February 1996 to October 1997, and is considered a left-leaning moderate.
As foreign minister, Cimoszewicz won praise for his part in brokering a peaceful solution to Ukraine's political stand-off last month and was also key in negotiating Poland's membership with the European Union.
Through scandals galore and allegations of corruption that have ruined many of the party’s leaders and deflated its popularity, Cimoszewicz has remained relatively clean. Since he will play a leading role in setting the lower house’s legislative agenda, the SLD believes having Cimoszewicz as Sejm speaker will revitalize the party’s image and help it regain some of its lost popularity ahead of parliamentary elections expected in June.
The position will also give him wider media exposure, and many believe he could use it as a springboard to run for president in elections due in late 2005. Cimoszewicz says he’s not interested.
He will be replaced in his former position of foreign minister, by his deputy Adam Rotfeld. Rotfeld headed the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute for two terms between 1991-2002 before joining the foreign ministry.
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1 Comments:
While Polish spelling seems inpenetrable, once you learn a few easy rules, pronunciation is not so difficult.
Cimoszewicz: Chee-moh-SHAY-veetch
There are a few exceptions, but generally you can count on the second to last syllable being stressed.
Oleksy: Oh-LEK-sih ("y" is pronounced as a short "i", as in "is")
Ohio:
Long story short-- I believe every vote should be counted and I don't trust the Diebold machines. I find it very suspicious that exit polls (which can be unreliable, especially in close elections like this one) were off the most in counties where they were used. Whether a recount in these counties (if it's even possible) would turn the election however, I highly doubt. I'm in favor of letting the democratic process take its course, and when it turns out that the Dems have lost (which I expect) we (they) should go back to the serious retooling of the party which has already begun, and to performing the proper function of an opposition party.
I haven't forgotten about your response re the earlier post. Work is killer and I'm just posting this comment in 5 minutes of free time.
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