The National Electoral Commission (PKW) on Monday issued negative opinions regarding 36 electoral protests. Four of them had been submitted by the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, one by Civic Coalition, and one by Polish People's Party - informed the head of the National Electoral Bureau (KBW), Magdalena Pietrzak. The PKW has recommended the Supreme Court not to pursue the complaints any further.
The head of the KBW Madgalena Pietrzak said that all 36 protests examined on Monday received negative opinions, because the PKW had found the presented charges as baseless. The Commission has recommended the Supreme Court not to pursue the complaints any further. These opinions, however, are not binding fot the top court.
Four protests by PiS
Four of the 36 protests that were issued negative opinions on Monday had been submitted by the Law and Justice electoral committee. They pertained to constituencies number 12, 92, 95 and 100. Last Thursday, the PKW issued negative opinion on PiS' protest in constituency number 75. Altogether, PiS had filed 6 protests.
PiS calls for votes recount, claiming that many votes that had been dismissed as invalid, should have been valid.
Negative opinions were issued also in regard to protests submitted by Civic Coalition and Polish People's Party - both pertaining to constituency number 59 (Łomża). The protests claimed that PiS had unlawfully registered (after deadline) their senatorial candidate Marek Komorowski, who replaced Kornel Morawiecki who passed away on September 30.
Electoral protests
Each electoral protest is examined by teams of three judges from the Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs Chamber of the Supreme Court (SN). According to the procedure, the SN asks the PKW for explanations and documents. Next, the PKW prepares and adopts its opinions on the submitted protests.
After examining a protest, the SN judges issue their opinion on whether or not the presented charges have sufficient grounds, and if they could have affected the results of the elections.
After examining all protests - based on the elections report issued by the PKW and the opinions on the protests - the Supreme Court decides on the validity of the elections. The verdict comes in the form of a resolution adopted by the full composition of the Extraordinary Control and Public Affairs Chamber, no later than 90 days after the day of the elections.
235 protests in the Supreme Court
Martyna Łuczak from the Supreme Court's press office informed that by Monday afternoon, 235 electoral protests have been submitted.
Last week, the Supreme Court announced that no factual decisions were taken in regard to seven protests, and marked them as requiring "no further consideration", pointing out that they had been submitted before the statutory period. No protests were examined on Monday.
The deadline for submitting electoral protests in writing in the Supreme Court passed last Tuesday (October 22) at 4pm. The deadline for protests sent by post passed at midnight that day. The Supreme Court underscored that in the latter case, what counts is the date on the post stamp. This means that some protests may still arrive to the court.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: tvn24