I can confirm that we are planning parliamentary elections and a referendum on the relocation of migrants at the same time, also to keep costs down; performing it separately entails extra costs, according to Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.
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During the press conference, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was asked about the draft amendments to the National Referendum Law, which was submitted to the Sejm last week. The provisions of the draft are intended to allow a national referendum to be held on the same day as parliamentary, presidential or European Parliament elections, especially through uniform voting hours, ie from 07:00 to 21:00.
During the debate in the Sejm on the position on the proposed EU migrant relocation mechanism, PiS President Jarosław Kaczyński stated that a referendum should be held on this issue.
I can confirm: we intend to do it (the parliamentary elections and the referendum on the relocation of migrants – PAP) at the same time, also to keep costs down. It is known that holding elections separately from holding a referendum entails extra costs, and these costs will be almost the same
said the prime minister.
“Defeat of Democracy”
Morawiecki was asked if such an idea is in line with the earlier decision to move the local government dates, which were originally supposed to take place in the fall of this year, to the spring of next year. As the journalist noted, the Prime Minister then argued that it would be very difficult from an organisational, technical and even legal point of view to organize local government elections in the autumn in a situation where parliamentary elections would be held on a similar date.
Once, in 2014, this election (in local government elections – PAP) was associated with a huge number of miscast votes – probably 2.5 million. Then miracles happened above the urn. The then power, Civic Platform, explained, among other things, that these elections were complicated, that there were different levels of local government, that there was a whole ballot book. That means that those elections really require a completely different approach, and here we have a referendum with one question. Is it complicated?
replied the prime minister.
As he added, the decision to postpone the date of the local government elections was aimed at “the smoothest running of these elections”.
Elections, which in 2014 resulted in a gigantic defeat of democracy in Poland. Why? Because 2.5 million votes lost is a failure of democracy. That’s why we don’t want to do it in a way that complicates the election even more – but a referendum is something completely different. A referendum with one question “yes/no” – it is probably a simple matter
Morawiecki said.
Referendum questions
Last November, President Andrzej Duda signed into law the law passed by the Sejm and proposed by PiS, which postponed the date of local government elections once and extended their term of office to April 30, 2024. The aim of the amendment was to avoid clashes with elections to the Sejm and Senate – local elections were originally scheduled to take place in the fall of 2023, as well as parliamentary elections.
When asked about the possibility of adding additional questions during the referendum on the relocation of migrants, the head of government replied that the preliminary decision only covered one question related to “illegal migration to Poland”. When asked what exactly the question should be in the referendum, the Prime Minister replied that “the exact question will be formulated at a later date”.
There is a preliminary decision, but there is no 100% decision here, because it may happen that we decide on a different question. But for now, our decision to make it as simple as possible is to ask one question and ask about illegal migration to Poland, about this big problem that the whole of Europe is facing today
explained the prime minister.
Tusk’s acrobatics
The head of the Polish government also referred to the change in the narrative of Donald Tusk, who began calling for the sealing of Poland’s borders, fearing the flood of economic migrants. The vast majority of pundits and public life observers are surprised and embarrassed by the behavior of the Civic Platform leader.
Tusk’s metamorphoses and spiritual transformations really amaze me and give me some kind of huge amazement, because Mr. Tusk was the person who threatened Poland with punishments for not accepting illegal migrants, it was in 2017. Mr. Tusk was a patron of Ms. Ochojska , who is probably filing an infringement procedure against Poland today or yesterday because there is a wall, a barrier in Belarus
Morawiecki said.
Mr. Tusk, I appeal to you to immediately cut off from Ochojska, otherwise the Tusk-Ochojska duo will lead to a real wave of illegal migration that will engulf us. This is not a joke, this is so juggling, these are such somersaults with their own positions that you have to be blind not to see that Tusk is just doing everything he can to blur what was eagerly confirmed recently, along with Weber, with Ms. Ochojska , i.e. the introduction of illegal migrants in Poland
– summarized the prime minister.
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Mon/PAP
Source: wPolityce