WARSAW. JULY 10. INTERFAX C.NTRAL EUROPE - There will be no coalition between the ruling conservative Law and Justice (PiS) Party and the center-right opposition Civic Platform (PO), Polish Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski said Tuesday.
"Mr [Bronislaw] Komorowski [the deputy leader of PO] already said yesterday that it [a coalition with PiS] is out of the question," Kaczynski said on Polish Radio's Sygnaly Dnia program. "[…] So I think that everything is clear."
Kaczynski was commenting on a Wednesday statement made by Komorowski, who is also the deputy speaker for the Lower House of Polish Parliament (the Sejm), which ruled out the possibility of a coalition with PiS. The Prime Minister said that in order for there to be a coalition both sides have to agree, and since the opposition cannot come to an agreement with PiS there will be no coalition.
Deputy Prime Minister Andrzej Lepper was sacked late Monday following allegations of corruption and bribe taking.
"[…] His [Lepper's] role in this whole thing is not clear in the least, and in this situation I cannot have him in government," Kaczynski said.
Lepper, who was sentenced for crimes such as organizing violent protests before his elevation to the government, was fired for criticizing government policy late in 2006 but returned within a month. He said that this time, however, he will not return, despite a promise from the prime minister that he could return if cleared of the charges.
The Prime Minister has not ruled out early elections.