Opposition – Smolensk report full of ‘lies’

"This wasn’t a report, it was just [Interior Minister] Miller’s lies,” said Law and Justice MP Antoni Macierewicz after the release of the report which apportioned blame not only to Russian air traffic controllers in Smolensk but also on the training and preparation of the Polish crew who were piloting the TU-154 which crashed in western Russia killing all 96 on board.

Earlier, Macierewicz, who led Law and Justice’s own report into the disaster, had insisted that the report would simply be “an attempt to confirm Russian propaganda.”

Macierewicz said that anyone reading the report would think that Poland was alone responsible for the death of its president and makes little mention of failures by Russia in the events that led to the tragedy.

Defence minister ‘should resign’

Meanwhile, MEP and former defence minister Janusz Zemke of the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) suggested this morning that his current counterpart, Bogdan Klich, should resign following the release of the report.

The report led by Interior Minister Jerzy Miller highlighted a series of weaknesses in the Polish Air Force, particularly in the regiment assigned to fly the Polish delegation to Smolensk.

“I always encourage the notion that honour should be preserved,” said Zemke, insinuating that the dignified thing would be for Klich to quit.

Pawel Poncyljusz from the Poland Comes First party (PJN), believes that the report shows bias by not making any recommendations concerning the Government Protection Bureau (BOR), which was responsible for providing security for Kaczynski's trip.

He nevertheless lamented that the report would dominate the run up to the general election this autumn, as opposed to other problems such as taxes and what he described as the government's “unrealised promises”. (pg/nh)