Dear Minister, Attorney General,
The basis of democracy and freedom is the ability of citizens to choose and freely evaluate political power at every level. The attack by Jan Kasprowicz, the mayor of the municipality of Gietrzwałd, against the initiators of the referendum on its cancellation, carried out with the help of the prosecutor’s office and the police, is reminiscent of the worst practices of the communist dictatorship.
The referendum initiative was the result of the strong opposition of some residents to the concept of building a large Lidl distribution center in Gietrzwałd pushed by the mayor. A concept that raises doubts because of the threats it entails: natural, communicative and social. All the more surprising is the enormous commitment of the municipal council, led by the mayor, to bring about its implementation. The success of the referendum campaign and the resignation of the mayor could thwart these plans.
The case concerns the permission granted for the investment, which will change the daily life of the inhabitants of the municipality and will be located about 400 meters from the basilica in Gietrzwałd. In a situation of such a sharp and justified political conflict, the actions of the government must be particularly balanced and not bear the signs of interference in the existing democratic procedures.
That is why the search of the house of Jacek Więcek by the public prosecutor, and the subsequent seizure of copies of cards with signatures of people supporting the referendum, raises serious doubts. All the more so because the cards with the original signatures were deposited in the election commissioner’s office and the public prosecutor was aware of this.
In this case it can be argued that the effect of these actions could have prevented the holding of the referendum, and this is a criminal action against elections.
I ask the Prosecutor General to investigate whether such far-reaching steps by the District Prosecutor were justified and did not stand in the way of the referendum procedure initiated on the dismissal of the head of the municipality of Gietrzwałd.
Yours sincerely,
Jerry Smith
Chairman of the Board of the Pjotr Poleski Foundation
The letter has also been published on the website opinion.olsztyn.pl
Source: wPolityce