What is the appeal of the National Electoral Commission that public figures engaging in electioneering strictly separate such activity from their public function and reality? The head of the National Electoral Commission, Sylwester Marciniak, was asked about this in “One on One”. – We are realists. It is very difficult to separate these public functions from electoral functions, he admitted.
Marcin Zaborski’s guest in Saturday’s edition of “One on One” was the head of the National Electoral Commission, Sylwester Marciniak, who was asked about the appeal of the National Electoral Commission, according to which public figures engaging in agitation for election committees are obliged to strictly separate such activities from their activities related to the performance of public, professional, economic, social and cultural functions.
– We have been using this type of expression since 2015. It depends primarily on those people who hold public functions, whether government or local government, replied the TVN24 guest.
The host of the program recalled the announcement of the “ones” on the Law and Justice electoral lists from August 31, at Nowogrodzka Street in Warsaw, where the party’s headquarters are located. He asked Marciniak whether ministers should use official government limousines when arriving at such a meeting.
– It is necessary to distinguish between the exercise of a public function and the issue of an election campaign. We’re just being realistic. It is very difficult to separate these public functions from electoral functions, he admitted.
Sylwester Marciniak in “One on One”TVN24
When asked by the head of the National Electoral Commission whether a minister arrives at a party meeting, to announce the leaders of the electoral lists, in an official government limousine, whether he violates the rules on the financing of electoral committees, he replied that “it is a matter of carrying out an investigation to see if it happened on the way.”
Marciniak, when asked whether the National Electoral Commission had analyzed this specific example and whether its representatives had seen images from Nowogrodzka Street, for example on television, the head of the National Electoral Commission replied that he rarely watched television programs.
– However, it should be borne in mind that National Electoral Commission, in accordance with the Electoral Code, exercises post-control control. So after elections the electoral committee submits a report within three months. If there are such allegations from competitors, the appropriate department of the National Electoral Commission will submit a report on this matter. We will think about it – he described.
When asked whether the National Electoral Commission has the tools to actually check this, Marciniak replied: – Please read the provisions of the Electoral Code. Unfortunately, there is neither tool nor instruments.
In response to Zaborski’s comment that the “sad conclusion” is that one can therefore drive a company limousine without consequences, Marciniak argued that “this applies to all people holding public positions.”
The moderator further mentioned other examples when the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration Mariusz Kamiński handed over rescue and fire-fighting vehicles and hydraulic sets to the firefighters in Krasnystaw, and the deputy chief Ministry of Interior and Administration Błażej Poboży, in Warmia and Mazury, handed over rescue and fire-fighting vehicles and letters of congratulations to the presidents of the volunteer fire brigade. He noted that both of them did it in their constituencies and asked whether it was conducting an election campaign.
– Now there is a question of delimiting professional activities, is there a ban on giving these cars? – Marciniak asked. – This is a very delicate border and here we may need to address ethical issues. Because, as I mentioned earlier, the electoral code allows only to a certain extent to settle election campaigns, what is agitation and what is not, he said.
Main photo source: TVN24