Waldemar Tomaszewski: “We need more honesty in the politics”

The head of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (EAPL), a Member of the European Parliament Waldemar Tomaszewski will take part in the presidential elections that will be held in May. Yesterday, on 13 February, representatives of the candidate registered him as a participant of electoral campaign in the General Election Commission’s office. 

Immediately after this event, during the press conference Waldemar Tomaszewski reminded that he has already run in presidential elections. During the last elections in 2009, the Pole’s candidacy was supported by considerable number of voters.

‘It is strange, but after those elections I was asked if I was going to stand as a candidate in the next ones. I asked then, that if the head of the state fulfilled her duties properly, I would not have a reason to put my candidacy forward. Unfortunately, today we can see that citizen’s expectations have not been met. People are disappointed with Lithuanian economic and social politics. This is why I believe that the time has come to introduce changes, we need more honesty in the politics’, Waldemar Tomaszewski said.

EAPL’s leader has not presented his programme. He however stated that it is very broad and is still updated with new recent points. Tomaszewski highlighted the importance of Polish party on the political scene of Lithuania.

‘We managed to unite citizens for a common, fruitful work, and this is not only about national minorities – we are supported also by the Lithuanian part of the society. We popularise Christian values and our representatives were not involved in some affairs. The proof or our work is the fact, that the self-government of the Vilnius Region, with our representatives at the helm, does not have any debts and finds money for citizens’ subsidies’ – enumerated Tomaszewski.

He claimed that his party could achieve the same in the whole country, not only in the region.

The head of EAPL reminded also that one of the main aspects in the Polish party’s activity and his electoral campaign is the issue of the Act on National Minorities. The favorable for minorities act, which functioned during the 20 years after Lithuania’s regaining of independence, came to an end in 2010. Recently the new act’s project is being prepared and the act, as EAPL demands, is to permit the minorities’ languages usage in public life and bilingual street and town nameplates in towns, where representatives of the minorities make up 25 percent of the inhabitants.

‘The name and surname should be treated as a private property of the citizen. In the civilised, democratic state people should have the right to write their names in accordance with the original spelling’, Tomaszewski stated.

During the conference, the EAPL’s leader mentioned also that he does not support the proposition in the case of introducing the car tax as a method of compensation of crisis-cut pensions.

Moreover, Waldemar Tomaszewski expressed his opinion about a referendum against the land sales for the foreigners. He said that if people collected their signatures, the referendum should take place. He however stated that the issue is more profound that it seems because it concerns not only the land sales for the foreigners, but may also initiate the process of quitting the European Union.

The head of EAPL skeptically appraised the plans to introduce the euro in Lithuania in 2015.

‘Entering the European Union we obliged to introduce the euro but there were no deadlines which we would have to meet. In my opinion we should not hurry with such a decision, it is reasonable to wait until the situation in the EU stabilises. If we do not wait, common people will suffer’, Tomaszewski explained.

The district head of the parliamentary fraction of EAPL Rita Tamašunienė also took the floor. She stated that despite the Polish party is supported by many, the fight for the President’s chair will not be easy.

‘Our party does not devise problems, it only presents what the real situation is. Waldemar Tomaszewski is a strong leader, he fights for truth. And, as we know, truth often causes negative reactions of the oponents. The campaign will not be easy. I wish our candidate strength and endurance’ Rita Tamašunienė said.

Source: http://kurierwilenski.lt/2014/02/13/waldemar-tomaszewski-potrzebujemy-wiecej-uczciwosci-w-polityce/

Tłumaczenie by Szymon Wnuk w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Szymon Wnuk within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.