Kwaśniewski faces veto override

WBJ:

Parliament set to challenge President’s veto on VAT bill

The chance that the bill on the reimbursement of VAT on building materials will ultimately enter into force is increasing. After President Aleksander Kwaśniewski vetoed the bill which was passed by the Sejm, some of the parliamentary clubs demanded that parliament meet again where the veto could be overturned by a majority of 60% of the votes. Sejm Speaker Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz yesterday proposed that the meeting should be tabled for Monday afternoon. "In order to make this possible, the opinion of the Seniors Convent is needed," explained Sejm Deputy Speaker Tomasz Nałęcz. However, it is unlikely that the Seniors Convent would object, since most of the parties, namely the Polish Peasants Party, Law and Justice, Polish Social Democracy and the League of Polish Families support calling the Sejm meeting. Politicians from the Civic Platform who on Wednesday were against such a move changed their minds and want the meeting to take place. Until now only the Democratic Left Alliance and Self-Defense have not voiced their opinion on the subject, but it seems probable that they will support the move. If Parliament votes the bill into law, the state budget will have to reimburse several billion złoty of VAT to the tax payers.