The referendum in Krakow is getting closer. Initiators: We have the required number of signatures
The counting of signatures for a referendum on the dismissal of Aleksander Miszalski (KO) from the office of Mayor of Krakow has ended – the initiators of the campaign announced on Monday. In their opinion, the required number of signatures had been collected.
“Today, the counting of signatures for the referendum application in Krakow ended. The required number of valid signatures of 58,355 was exceeded. It was enough to verify just under 80,000 signatures,” the referendum initiators said on Facebook.
Barbara Golanko, director of the National Electoral Office in Krakow, told PAP on Monday that “the process of entering data into the system verifying the correctness of support for the referendum initiative has been completed.” – Collective lists of categories of individual types of errors are currently being prepared and their analysis will be carried out – she added.
Golanko emphasized that the KBW does not provide more information, and the electoral commissioner will announce the decision, which will appear on the website of the Krakow KBW.
According to the referendum initiators, the decision of the electoral commissioner to order a referendum may be issued after Easter. The initiators estimate that the referendum will take place on May 17, 24 or 31.
The referendum committee, a group of residents with the support of opposition politicians, had 60 days to collect signatures from January 27, but finished it after 43 days, collecting almost 134,000 signatures.
The referendum motion concerns not only the dismissal of the city mayor, but also the entire Krakow City Council.
– We didn't think it would end with such a spectacular success – said one of the organizers of the collection, chairman of the Stare Miasto district council, Jan Hoffman, at a press conference on March 11, before submitting the cards with signatures to KBW. He said that Kraków expects quick changes and that is why the signatures were collected so quickly.
A group of people, starting on January 27 to collect signatures in support of the motion to organize a referendum, emphasized that it was not a political action. However, opposition politicians quickly joined the collection – PiS, Konfederacja, and Łukasz Gibała's circle.
If the electoral commissioner orders a referendum, it should be held within 50 days from the date of publication of the decision to hold a referendum in the Official Journal of the Małopolska Voivodeship.
For the referendum to be valid, the turnout must be not less than 3/5 of the number of people participating in the election of the recalled body. In the case of the president, this number is 158,555 voters (264,257 people took part in the vote on April 21, 2024 in the second round of the elections for the president of Krakow and cast their votes on valid ballots). In the case of the Krakow City Council, this number is 179,792 voters (in the vote on April 7, 2024, 299,652 people took part in the Krakow City Council elections and cast votes on valid ballots).
If a referendum is ordered, it will, as a rule, be held in the same permanent voting districts as in the last elections of the President of the Republic of Poland. There were 412 permanent voting districts. Additionally, depending on needs, additional districts will be designated, e.g. in hospitals, nursing homes, and detention centers.
Opponents accuse Miszalski of, among others, the city's debt, cronyism, failure to fulfill election promises, and holding office in an unworthy manner. They also do not like the implementation and rules of the Clean Transport Zone (SCT), ticket price increases, extension of paid parking hours and introduction of parking fees on Sundays.
According to Miszalski, the attempt to dismiss him is, for his critics, a kind of “overtime” for the last local government elections. In January, refuting his opponents' accusations, he said, among other things: about the city's growing income, investments “close to residents” and activities to improve the quality of life in Krakow, including improving the quality of transport services.
On April 21, 2024, Miszalski received over 51% in the second round of elections. support and won against councilor, entrepreneur, activist and former PO MP Łukasz Gibała, who was supported by almost 49 percent. voters.
The majority in the Krakow City Council has KO together with the New Left. (PAP)
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