Kaczynski would be the one to organise a 'coup' says Polish PM
Donald Tusk, the prime minister, has suggested that Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Law and Justice (PiS), the main opposition party, would be the person in Poland who could try to instigate a coup.
Tusk was responding to comments by Kaczynski, who on Wednesday called on Andrzej Duda, the Polish president to "put an end to the 'coup'" and to "use all appropriate means to do so."
The two men are bitter political rivals and their rivalry has escalated since a Tusk-led coalition unseated Kaczynski's PiS government in October's general election.
"It's difficult for me to know more about his intentions than him," Tusk told journalists on Thursday. "It's also hard for me to even venture a guess as to what is going through his mind when it comes to these 'coups.'"
Tusk added that, as a rule, a coup d'etat was generally organised by those who are against the government.
"If there's anyone who truly has a coup in mind, it's probably Mr Kaczynski," he added. "We don't need to stage a coup because we were victorious in the elections and legally took over power in Poland."
On Wednesday evening, Kaczynski and other PiS politicians had gathered in front of the National Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw where, according to media reports, they declared that there was an attempt by Adam Bodnar, the justice minister, to "take over" the office by force.
Kaczynski referred to the event as a "lead-in to a coup d'etat" and deemed it "a crisis situation" because of "the try to change the system by force."
He added that "many of the events that took place after December 13 (the date of the swearing-in of the new government – PAP) add up to crimes committed by those now in power."
Moreover, Kaczynski called on President Duda to convene meetings of the Cabinet Council and the National Security Council, and to "perhaps take other actions to restore the functioning of the Constitution and law in Poland." (PAP)
jch/md
