Polish PM shows he is healthy, teases president
By Karolina Slowikowska
WARSAW, Aug 7 (Reuters) - A long-running political tussle between Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the country's conservative president took a medical twist on Thursday when Tusk released a report showing that he is fighting fit.
The health of President Lech Kaczynski has been an issue of debate for some time and members of Tusk's governing Civic Platform have been pressuring the president to prove that he is fit for the job.
Tusk underwent complex medical tests and the published results dominated local media on Thursday, with commentators discussing and analysing at length his cholesterol and blood pressure levels.
"I believe that people holding the highest public offices should have no secrets," Tusk said.
Analysts see the prime minister's health report as another step in the political battle between Tusk's pro-business, centre-right government and Kaczynski.
Tusk lost the 2005 presidential election to Kaczynski. He ousted Kaczynski's twin brother Jaroslaw as prime minister in parliamentary polls last year, but does not have enough votes to override a presidential veto.
The president has vetoed one business and one media-related measure in the last two months and analysts say fear of further vetoes may be inhibiting government reform plans.
Polish media have speculated about Kaczynski's health since he took office in 2005, with medical issues forcing him to cancel some events. But his office has repeatedly denied he has any major health problems.
Civic Platform deputy Janusz Palikot has called on Kaczynski to release a report on his health.
Michal Kaminski, senior adviser to the president, recently said Kaczynski would answer questions about his health, but the president himself said earlier this week he would not.
Palikot now says he will table a bill after the summer holidays, obliging the president, the prime minister and all candidates running for these posts and for parliament to release information about their health.
Radoslaw Markowski of the Institute of Political Studies commented: "It is a typical political tug of war. It is in line with the general climate. The two former candidates for president are arguing about everything." (Editing by Robert Hart)
