Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski is to appear in court to defend himself against allegations that he worked with communist-era secret police.

Kwasniewski has said right-wing opponents may be behind the appearance of documents that cast doubt on his declaration that he did not secretly work for the pre-1989 state security forces. All candidates for public office must declare past links with the pre-1989 communist security apparatus. If they are found by the "vetting court" to have lied in their declaration they face a stiff fine and a 10-year ban from public office. Kwasniewski served as a minister in the last communist government and later helped transform the collapsed People's Party into Poland's largest opposition group, the Democratic Left Alliance. Kwasniewski has accused the camp of his main rival, Solidarity trade union leader Marian Krzaklewski, of carrying out a smear-campaign aimed at turning voters away from the popular president.