- September 7, 2012
- 267
2012 Elections: AWPL has the papers for General Electoral Commission ready
In a few days the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (AWPL) will submit to the General Electoral Commission the essential documents to take part in the October’s election to Lithuanian Seym.
The maximal possible amount of candidates will run for sets from AWPL’s list- 141. The candidates will also run in 40 single-member constituencies, including those of Kaunas and Kaunas region for the first time. AWPL hopes for several seats.
“It’s not a coalition’s list, it’s AWPL’s list that includes members from over 30 groups. Traditionally, on our list we have people of various nationalities- mostly Poles, but also Lithuanians, Belarusians, Tatars and others. We also have candidates from two political parties- the Russian Alliance and the People’s Party. It illustrates the AWLP’s status. We connect all people of good will.”- told us Waldemar Tomaszewski, AWPL’s leader and an MEP.
The leader is on top of the list. On the first twenty positions there are members of Polish, Lithuanian, Russian and Belarusian organisations.
1. Waldemar Tomaszewski, 2. Irina Rozowa, 3. Michał Mackiewicz, 4. Vaidotas Prunskus, 5. Wanda Krawczonok, 6. Zbigniew Jedziński, 7. Józef Kwiatkowski, 8. Marija Matusewicz, 9. Maria Pucz, 10. Romualda Poszewieckaja, 11. Rimantas Kumpis, 12. Tamara Łochankina, 13. Zdzisław Palewicz, 14. Wieczesław Karmanow, 15. Jarosław Kamiński, 16. Rita Renkauskenė, 17. Władimir Własow, 18. Zbigniew Macijewski, 19. Andrzej Andruszkiewicz, 20. Teresa Sołowjowa
Mayors of the Vilnius region Maria Rekść and Šalčininkai region Zdzisław Palewicz, despite the on-going campaign decided to focus on local governments’ work. Therefore, Maria Rekść gave up her high, 6th position on the list and Zdzisław Palewicz asked for moving him from 7th to 13th place.
AWPL has its candidates in 40 single-member constituencies. For the very first time they will be fighting for seats in Kaunas, Kaunas region, in Ukmerge and Kelmė.
AWPL is strongest in the Vilnius region. As Waldemar Tomaszewski said in his conversation with “Kurier”, “In Vilnius- Šalčininkai district, where our candidate Leonard Talmont runs for a seat, we usually receive over 70% of votes already in the first round. We hope that also this time we will get a seat in the first ballot. In Vilnius- Trakai district, where Jarosław Narkiweicz runs, around 50% of the electorate voted for us the last time, so we also have a chance to win in the first round there, too. In the Vilnius- Širvintos district during the previous local government election AWPL received around 40% of votes. However, since the borders of the district were changed and two sections (Sužionys and Skirlėnai) taken away, we may expect 5% of votes less. Nevertheless, we think that our candidate Rita Tamašunienė, who is the leader of AWLP in Širvintos and the deputy director of administration in Vilnius region local government, has real chances for victory in the second round of elections.” AWLP’s candidates have quite significant chances in a few other districts, where the party usually gains 15-20% of support in the first ballot.
Those districts are: Naujoji Vilnia district, where Tadeusz Andrzejewski runs for a seat, Varėna- Eišiškės district: Zdzisław Palewicz, Trakai- Elektrėnai district: Jarosław Kamiński, Molėtai- Švenčionys district: Zbigniew Jedziński.
In Waldemar Tomaszewski’s opinion, also the AWLP’s candidates that run in capital districts have chances to get to the second round. Party’s partners from the Russian Alliance are traditionally strongest in Klaipeda.
The difficult socio-economic situation in Lithuania- to a great extent caused by inefficient ruling of the present coalition, headed by conservative politics- demands a drastic change in attitudes towards economic and social policies. On the field of economy, AWLP suggests setting a few priorities that should be later supported by tax differentiation. AWLP focuses on development of tourism, biofuels production, transportation and agriculture.
It is the tourism that should become one of the promising branches of Lithuanian economy. Production of biofuels would be a significant impulse for economic development that could also give Lithuania energetic independence and promote the improvement of agriculture. Cultivating the now unused 800 thousands hectares of fields would provide products and also create at least 30 thousands of new working places in villages.
On the social field, AWPL suggests broadening the role of the state. Minimal wage should be no lower than 1200 litas and constitute no less than 50% of medium salary. Pensions should not be lower than a half of medium salary too. To achieve such a level of minimal wages and retirement pensions, additional incomes to the state’s budget are needed. One way to get them would be to impose taxes on the most prosperous institutions in our country- banks. To do that, a turnover tax for the banks should be introduced. Great Britain, Slovakia and Cyprus have already introduced it with success.
Thus, AWLP takes part in the elections with a strong economic and social programme. But as the party’s leader says:”The country must escape not only from an economic crisis, but also from a spiritual and moral one.” AWPL, not to be dependent on business circles, traditionally does not take money from businessmen and it acts according to Christian values.
It generally counts on several seats in this year’s Seimas elections.
“We feel the support of the voters. So we count on even 10% of votes in the whole country and several seats. But we are aware of the fact that everything depends on the Providence, and our plans and expectations are only mundane ones”- says the AWLP’s leader Waldemar Tomaszewski.
Tłumaczenie Emilia Zawieracz w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Emilia Zawieracz within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.
