December 02, 2015
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's parliament voted Wednesday to appoint new judges for the constitutional court amid heated exchanges between lawmakers.
In a controversial vote that took hours to complete because of the arguing, the lower house approved five new judges to the 15-member Constitutional Tribunal who had been proposed by the ruling conservative Law and Justice party, which took power last month and dominates the parliament.
The new appointments are to replace five judges chosen in a last-minute move in October by the ruling party at the time, Civic Platform, which also bent the rules to make those appointments. In principle nonpolitical, the tribunal suddenly found itself at the center of a heated political debate over its composition. Its task is to check laws and regulations for adherence with the supreme charter and it can indirectly delay work on legislation proposed by the government.
In the debate, Law and Justice said the October appointments were made in violation of the law and were unconstitutional, while Civic Platform insisted that the new appointments will be a threat to democracy and to the constitution.
Ahead of the vote, Law and Justice lawmaker Stanislaw Piotrowicz accused Civic Platform of starting the whole problem with a "coup" against the tribunal with its moves earlier this year. He said the party wanted to use the tribunal to "block reforms" that Law and Justice has promised to the Poles in its recent electoral campaign.
Adding to the confusion, the tribunal will rule Thursday on the validity of the October appointments. Also, President Andrzej Duda, who won the presidency on a Law and Justice ticket, needs to decide whether to approve the judges voted in on Wednesday.
After the vote, Civic Platform leaders said they will take legal steps to annul the vote. "What we have just witnessed brings shame to Poland's democracy," said former foreign minister Grzegorz Schetyna. "We will not accept it."
The vote, which was planned for midafternoon, was delayed by opposition lawmakers who noisily tapped on their pulpits, chanted "Constitution," and sought recesses. Some sarcastically said that "lawlessness and injustice" were in power.
Law and Justice backers and opponents with national white-and-red flags held two separate noisy rallies before the parliament.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland's parliament voted Wednesday to appoint new judges for the constitutional court amid heated exchanges between lawmakers.
In a controversial vote that took hours to complete because of the arguing, the lower house approved five new judges to the 15-member Constitutional Tribunal who had been proposed by the ruling conservative Law and Justice party, which took power last month and dominates the parliament.
The new appointments are to replace five judges chosen in a last-minute move in October by the ruling party at the time, Civic Platform, which also bent the rules to make those appointments. In principle nonpolitical, the tribunal suddenly found itself at the center of a heated political debate over its composition. Its task is to check laws and regulations for adherence with the supreme charter and it can indirectly delay work on legislation proposed by the government.
In the debate, Law and Justice said the October appointments were made in violation of the law and were unconstitutional, while Civic Platform insisted that the new appointments will be a threat to democracy and to the constitution.
Ahead of the vote, Law and Justice lawmaker Stanislaw Piotrowicz accused Civic Platform of starting the whole problem with a "coup" against the tribunal with its moves earlier this year. He said the party wanted to use the tribunal to "block reforms" that Law and Justice has promised to the Poles in its recent electoral campaign.
Adding to the confusion, the tribunal will rule Thursday on the validity of the October appointments. Also, President Andrzej Duda, who won the presidency on a Law and Justice ticket, needs to decide whether to approve the judges voted in on Wednesday.
After the vote, Civic Platform leaders said they will take legal steps to annul the vote. "What we have just witnessed brings shame to Poland's democracy," said former foreign minister Grzegorz Schetyna. "We will not accept it."
The vote, which was planned for midafternoon, was delayed by opposition lawmakers who noisily tapped on their pulpits, chanted "Constitution," and sought recesses. Some sarcastically said that "lawlessness and injustice" were in power.
Law and Justice backers and opponents with national white-and-red flags held two separate noisy rallies before the parliament.
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