Opposition MPs involved in protest should be punished: PiS leader
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
22.01.2017 11:06
Opposition MPs who held a sit-in protest in parliament amid a political crisis should be punished, the leader of Poland's governing party has said.
The building of the Parliament in Warsaw. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
“MPs used force to prevent public officers from performing their duties,” the Law and Justice (PiS) party leader Jarosław Kaczyński said.
Kaczyński also said that there is a law against blocking public officers from doing their jobs.
But he added that the the prosecution would have the final word on the matter.
A political crisis ensued in Poland when opposition MPs started a sit-in protest on 16 December.
Their protest followed the exlusion from debate of one opposition deputy, who raised the issue of contentious plans to change media access to the parliamentary building.
After several hours of recess, the debate was moved to an ancillary hall, and a key budget vote was held by a show a hands.
The vote was slammed as illegal by opposition parties, who questioned whether a quorum was met. Some opposition MPs also claim they were not allowed entry into the ancillary hall and were therefore not allowed to take part in the vote.
Law and Justice denies the charges.
The opposition sit-in continued until 12 January. (vb)
Source: IAR