The upcoming local elections are a critically crucial challenge. In this situation, there are natural appeals for unity towards the offensive of the Law and Justice. Polish citizens anticipate unity against the PiS, agreed by the opposition candidacy of presidents, mayors and mayors, reasoning that common letters to municipal councils would besides be expected. However, the very slogan of unity raises our crucial concerns if it is to be implemented according to the erstwhile wording:
- The credibility of political parties – especially opposition parties – is highly low today. Although dangerous and close to populist elements are anti-party resentiments, they are simultaneously understood and mostly blamed by parties. The united opposition under the organization name present condemns us to failure in the fight against the born dictatorship and the uplifting totalitarian element.
- The united front against the Law and Justice – if it wins – will not reconstruct democracy in Poland. Democracy hates “unified fronts”, it lives well in pluralism. The winning camp will gotta live and operate in the environment of the inactive dangerous populist element, which does not foster open debate and forces to close ranks. This is besides not conducive to decisions on crucial and in any way controversial – challenging. For example, the engagement of local governments in in vitro financing may be affected by concerns about the reaction of a conservative part of society and the Church.
- The united front against the Law and Justice – if it wins – will not solve any of the crucial Polish problems that led to an increase in populist wave and the triumph of the Law and Justice in the last parliamentary elections. The triumph of specified a front will not make the PiS voters disappear. They will proceed to be a threat, excluding the safe stableness of Polish policy. present we request a different definition of political divisions than the hostility of the 2 camps and the electorates behind them.
- The united front against the Law and Justice – if it arises – cannot be the consequence of a dictatorship of any of the forces deemed to be leading and demanding unconditional loyalty from the others.
We anticipate the construction of the essential democratic camp to take these concerns into account. This is simply a essential condition for our participation and – we are convinced – besides a condition of success in these and all another election.
The democratic camp must be democratic indeed, it must focus all the highly valued democracy of the environment, ensuring that each of them has an influence on any joint decision, autonomy in action, formulation of its own objectives and respect for their separateness. The Democratic camp must focus as wide a social base as possible – wider than the electorate of today's opposition party. It must be the beginning of a renewed Polish democracy.
Many Polish municipalities are already searching for candidates in elections. The parties and another environments naturally search their own candidates. Particularism of environments and parties is dangerous. Especially in a situation where we are threatened by the ordination abolishing the second circular of elections where the winners are given 1 mandate, as happens in elections for presidents, mayors and mayors, and not a proportional division of votes, as happens in municipal council elections. The reconciliation of joint candidates and joint electoral lists – albeit absolutely essential – cannot take place by way of spherical, interpartisan agreements. It must take place with citizens and citizens' movements.
Polish citizens present defend democracy against dictatorship. We request democracy from everyone – including the opposition party. Especially from them.
Polish citizens so declare:
- We request that all decisions on the electoral lists of the united opposition be taken by the primaries. The candidates notified by the opposition group of the agreements must be verified through primaries involving not only members of the parties, associations and participants in the movements, but besides all voters. The winners of the primaries will become joint opposition candidates. We can't support others.
- We declare our full commitment to the creation of civic electoral committees. It is they – pluralist, respecting the autonomy of the entities forming them and absolutely open to all environments of the left, the right and the center, excluding anyone's dictatorship – that have the right to fight under the democratic banner. And they're the only ones with a chance to win.
