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Poland-Current Issues Recommended

What kind of organization is KOD?

Mateusz Kijowski, disgraced leader of KOD
Mateusz Kijowski, disgraced leader of KOD

Historical Overview

October 27, 2015 – results of October 25, 2015 parliamentary elections in Poland are announced.

November 16, 2016 – Premier Beata Szydło presents the cabinet to the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda.

November 18, 2015 – Mateusz Kijowski announces formation of the Komitet Obrony Demokracji, an organization under a misleading name of “Committee for Defense of Democracy.”

November 26, 2015 – KOD publishes an open letter to the President to accept the oath from three judges selected to the Constitutional Tribunal by the previous parliamentary majority. These appointments were made six months prior to the expiration date of the judicial term in order to prevent the incoming administration from making these appointments in accord with the usual orderly procedure.

December 2, 2015 – KOD is organized with seven executive board members and divided into sections and international divisions. KOD launches a website.

It is evident from the above timeline that KOD was formed in response to the results of the 2015 elections, not in response to any undemocratic actions by the Government of Prime Minister Szydło. Clearly, KOD represents, in statu nascendi, the rejection of the voice of the people (vox populi) – the voice of the voters.

KOD consists primarily of people who directly benefited or are affiliated with those who benefited in many ways (including cronyism, unearned and illegitimate privileges, corruption, numerous unpunished criminal affairs, etc.) from the former Civic Platform government led by Donald Tusk and Ewa Kopacz. The coalition led by Tusk lost power in Poland as a result of the October 2015 parliamentary elections.

The Tusk coalition works hand in hand with KOD. Former communist apparatchiks, and their children, hold leadership positions in KOD. Former communist security apparatus members like Jerzy Stanczyk participate in demonstrations and speak at the rallies organized by KOD. One of them, Adam Mazgula, attempted to mobilize former communist police against the government of Prime Minister Szydło, alluding that many of them still have their firearms that can be used. He wrote and publicly distributed an appeal to the Polish soldiers to rebel against the democratically elected government of Prime Minister Szydlo.

Former communist agents and moles, who penetrated the Solidarity Movement, and former members of communist military intelligence services (WSI) like Marek Dukaczewski are leading the rebellion from behind. Their names and files were disclosed to the public after the archives of secret police were made available to scholars and journalists. The statements, slogans and banners at KOD rallies are full of hate speech and violent threats against the ruling coalition, for example that they all will soon “be jumping out of the windows.”

KOD co-organizes an attempted Coup d’état in Poland

On December 16-17, 2016, KOD participated in the attempted coup d’état in front of the Polish Parliament. The crisis began with the “false flag” operation as a protest in defense of free media. The “free media” issue was merely a pretense to spark violent mass protests across Poland.

The access of journalists to the Polish parliament is currently unregulated, in contrast to the US and other countries. As a result, journalists are pursuing politicians in the Sejm corridors, screaming and shouting, pushing people aside, hitting them with equipment, creating chaos and frequently intimidating the politicians. Needless to say, one would not find this kind of behavior on Capitol Hill nor around the White House. Consequently, the Speaker of the House recently introduced regulations for journalists’ access to the parliament (Sejm) complex. The goal was to foster order and behavioral norms commanding respect for the environment, similar to the measures existing in Brussels or D.C.

When the new budget was proposed, one flamboyant Member of Parliament, Michal Szczerba, usurped the speaker podium, protesting new regulations on media access. The Speaker of the Sejm noted that this issue was not on the agenda and asked him several times to free the podium, noting that the debate was about the budget for 2017. Since he didn’t comply, the Speaker excluded him from the assembly. Then the opposition ran to protect him. The aim was to stall the time so the Sejm would not be able to pass the budget by its deadline. The inability to pass the budget could force the dissolution of the parliament and new elections. This was the goal of the “total” opposition.

Knowing the constitutional requirements, the Speaker moved the assembly to another hall (Column Hall), where the debate and voting took place with some of the opposition MPs present. The second item passed by the Sejm was the so-called “De-SB-Law,” which deprived the former communist police officers of their privileged pension benefits, reducing them to the country’s average retirement benefits level. This action apparently infuriated KOD members the most.

KOD was well prepared in advance with all the logistics to start mass demonstrations in front of the Parliament. They tried to move into the Parliament with few thousands of supporters whom they called to action through various media. Fortunately, some investigative reporters were able to learn about their plans to seize the Parliament, and police were ready to protect the entrances. Some rioters were posing as journalists, trying to get inside. Some were playing foul, pretending to be attacked and beaten by the police, but real reporters were able to expose their conspiracy to size the Parliament, and numerous provocation schemes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3_1sCUuuqc.

Preceding the Parliamentary crisis, the media in Poland widely reported the appeal made by a retired colonel Adam Mazgula from KOD Opole to former officers who “still have concealed weapons”, to rise against the government of Prime Minister Szydło. Soon thereafter, Miroslaw Mrozewski of the former communist secret police made personal life threats against Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of the ruling party. The security situation became very tense and dangerous. Once Michal Broniatowski – a son of a higher rank communist apparatchiks, and one of the leading ideologists of the “total opposition,” as they call themselves – published a manual on how to capture the Parliament and seize power by creating a Polish Maidan (reference to Kiev Maidan), the situation became even more volatile.

As illustrated above, the real objective of KOD is to overthrow the legitimate and democratically elected Polish government. Considering KOD operations since its inception, its name should be understood as “Committee for Destruction of Democracy” in Poland.

Brutal Attacks on Members of the Governing Coalition

On December 16, 2016, the total opposition parties of Civic Platform and Nowoczesna decided to occupy the Polish Parliament, while KOD members and supporters staged well-coordinated protests in front of the Parliament, inciting and encouraging their supporters to attack the representatives of the governing coalition.

On the night the Sejm passed the “De-SB-Law”, that is on December 16-17, 2016, the KOD rally in front of the Polish Parliament turned violent. The cars with Prime Minister Szydlo and Chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski were brutally attacked by the KOD mob. Prof. Krystyna Pawlowicz, MP from the governing coalition, was brutally attacked by the KOD mob while leaving the Parliament, and mass aggression towards the present security forces took place.

On December 18, 2016 Prime Minister Szydło and Chairman Jaroslaw Kaczynski traveled to Krakow to pray at the Wawel crypt of President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in Smolensk on April 10, 2010. They make this trip every month to pay respect to late President Lech Kaczynski. This time KOD called its members to stage a protest rally against Chairman Kaczynski on this occasion. The violent and dangerous protests erupted in Krakow with protesters displaying unprecedented hatred towards Jaroslaw Kaczynski, twin brother of late President Lech Kaczynski who was killed in Smolensk.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp5488AXbwQ.

On December 19, 2016, Minister of Education Anna Zalewska was brutally attacked by the KOD mob while leaving a conference on education reform in Jelenia Gora. The prosecution opened a criminal investigation into this attack.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kyE04L5avY.

Since the day of the Smolensk crash, the same forces that led to the Krakow riots against Jaroslaw Kaczynski have been heavily involved in frustrating, obstructing and preventing any real investigation into the Smolensk crash. The unprecedented hatred against Jaroslaw Kaczynski displayed at the Krakow riots is comparable to the hate campaign conducted by post-communist forces in Poland against late President Lech Kaczynski before his tragic and still unexplained death in Smolensk.

US-Owned TVN Television Key in Destabilizing Poland

It is important to point out that the television network TVN has been heavily involved in a crude campaign against Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski for years. Established by the former communist apparatchiks, TVN became the leading television media in fighting all political forces in Poland that demand justice for communist crimes. Thus, TVN passionately fights the current governing coalition. Furthermore, since 2010, TVN is involved in blocking, preventing and obstructing any investigation into the Smolensk tragedy by discrediting people who demand the truth, spreading harmful disinformation, and routinely producing fake news on this subject. Also, TVN has been involved in encouraging people to take part in the protests that led to the current parliamentary crisis. Since 2015, the US Company Scripps Networks Interactive owns a majority stake in TVN. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVN_(Poland). On July 13, 2016, Jim Samples, the president of Scripps Networks’s international division, became the president of TVN management board.

KOD Polonia USA

KOD is very strong and active in the USA. Under the leadership of Jan Włodarczyk, Tom Kokociński and Marcin Żmudzki, KOD excels in behind-the-scene lobbying against the legitimate, democratically elected Polish Government. The better known actions of KOD USA are manifestations in Chicago and Washington, DC, organized in the summer 2016, as well as radically partisan letters written to the Secretary of State and US Senators Cardin, Durbin and McCain attacking every action of the Polish government as “undemocratic.” Many KOD members and sympathizers advocate violence, use brutal, hateful language, make violent threats, and publically call for death to Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Chairman of the governing Law and Justice Party. 

KOD Uses Terrorist Tactics

The above actions – and many others too numerous to list here – have been universally condemned by the international community as fundamentally at odds with the values of the democratic societies. Furthermore, the recent attempts to take over the Polish Parliament and stage the Maidan in Warsaw meet the US definition of terrorism. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85).[1]

Therefore, the Polish people in Poland and in the United States are gravely concerned that the violent overthrow of the Polish government is being pursued by KOD. Considering recent incitements to violence and ensuing riots, the attacks on the Polish diplomatic missions abroad by KOD members and sympathizers cannot be ruled out.

Accordingly, on behalf of the Polonia Institute, we appeal for the support of the key democratic institution in Poland – the Parliament – and the legitimate, democratically elected Government of Prime Minister Szydło. We appeal for unequivocal condemnation of any attempts by KOD and its sympathizers to overthrow, through street violence, intimidation, provocation, riots, turmoil, illegal actions and subversive operations, the government elected and supported by the Polish people – the Government of Prime Minister Szydło.

Polonia Institute members:

Jan Michał Małek, Co-Founder, Los Angeles
Leszek Pawlik, CEO, Los Angeles
Dr. Agata Marriott, 1st VP, San Diego
Eva Pawlowski, San Diego
Dr. Józef Krutul, Chicago

 

_______________________________________

[1] The FBI further describes terrorism as either domestic or international, depending on the origin, base, and objectives of the terrorist organization. For the purpose of this report, the FBI will use the following definitions:

Domestic terrorism is the unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives.

International terrorism involves violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any state, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or any state. These acts appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population, influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion, or affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping. International terrorist acts occur outside the United States or transcend national boundaries in terms of the means by which they are accomplished, the persons they appear intended to coerce or intimidate, or the locale in which their perpetrators operate or seek asylum. https://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/terrorism-2002-2005

 


Note:

Polonia Institute expresses our grave concern over the ongoing upheaval in Poland by the PO and Nowoczesna parties, along with KOD, culminating in blocking the Polish Parliament, inciting and provoking riots across Poland, intimidating and attacking individual members of the governing coalition, and calling for the overthrow by street violence of the legitimate, democratically elected government of Prime Minister Beata Szydło .

We denounce the continuing, illegal occupation of the Polish Parliament, an important democratic institution in Poland, and strongly condemn any attempts to overthrow the legitimate government. We call on the United States Government to consider whether and to what extent the so called Committee for the Defense of Democracy in Poland, and its sister organization KOD Polonia, USA meet the definition of a terror organization under the United States law.  In making this determination, the presented facts should be considered.

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2 comments

George A Soltysik January 10, 2017 at 5:41 am

Democracy must be respected. Parliamentary rules in relation to the public and including media should be created and enforced by the Sejm’s security personnel. I am concerned that perhaps your article paints a somewhat exaggerated picture through speculation of what the opposition forces are actually doing or planning to do to dismantle the duly elected government. The mere reference to the possibility of physical violent attacks on Polish diplomatic offices in the US as implied through your added explanation on how the FBI defines acts of terrorism implies the opposition forces are planning such attacks. As an “outsider” looking in this speculation makes me uncomfortable with what you present as fact which leaves me with the impression they may be mixed with opinion. Thank you and please keep up your good work. George A Soltysik, Milton, Ontario, Canada

Yvonne Kowalczewski January 10, 2017 at 4:22 am

This should be sent to all members of Congress and major media in the US (especially The New York Times, Washington Post and others which strongly advocate KOD and unfairly criticize the elected government of Poland). Bill Clinton could also learn a thing or two from this.

Comments are closed.

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