Warsaw: Polish Interior Minister Ludwik Dorn resigned yesterday, the second senior Cabinet member to leave his post this week due to differences with conservative Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
Dorn said his resignation, just hours before Kaczynski announces details of a reshuffle of the coalition government, was because of a clash with the Prime Minister last month. He did not elaborate.
He, however, said he had agreed to stay on at Kaczynski's request as deputy prime minister.
Analysts said only the naming of his replacement would make clear whether Dorn's departure signalled more trouble ahead for the coalition government.
"The prime minister demanded from me action that I believed contained errors," Dorn, a long-time ally of Kaczynski told a news conference.
"When a minister disagrees with the prime minister he should lodge his resignation. I have decided to continue in the Cabinet [as deputy prime minister] because, with rational politicians with a common interest ... it is possible to disagree on particular issues."
Replacement
Kaczynski was expected to name Dorn's replacement and confirm the new shape of his Cabinet in a ceremony at the presidential palace at 1230 GMT. The Prime Minister said on Tuesday the reshuffle would make only small changes to his team.
Polish daily Dziennik reported yesterday that Jan Rokita, a leading figure in the opposition Civic Platform party, was a possible candidate for the interior ministry portfolio.
