Polish PM Quashes Revolt as Left Picks New Leader

Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller quashed a revolt at his Democratic Left Alliance's (SLD) congress on Saturday, securing the appointment of his trusted ally as the party's new leader. The congress elected Krzysztof Janik, chairman of its parliamentary caucus, as the party's new boss, despite calls by rebels to pick a new face from outside the party establishment to launch a revamp of the SLD, a party of reformed communists. Janik, 53-year-old former interior minister, urged the SLD to end internal squabbles, vowing hard work to lift the party's popularity ratings from the lowest level of any ruling group since the 1989 fall of communism. Miller quit as party chief last month, saying he wanted to focus on preparing Poland for European Union entry and so a new leader could concentrate on preparing the party for June elections to the European Parliament. Politicians said under Janik the SLD might shy away from any major overhaul, which Miller's critics say is needed for the party to avoid humiliating defeat at the hands of the right-wing opposition and populists in the 2005 general election.