Monday, Jul. 03, 1989

World Notes POLAND

If there were any doubts about the overwhelming rejection of the Communist party by Polish voters earlier this month, they were firmly dispelled last week. By the end of the second round of sparsely attended balloting, the Solidarity trade-union movement had confirmed its victory by winning 99 seats in the 100-member Senate and all 161 opposition seats in the 460-seat Sejm, the lower house, where 299 places had been set aside in advance for the Communist alliance.

Although Communist party leader General Wojciech Jaruzelski has attempted to draw Solidarity into a coalition, the trade-union movement insists it will remain in opposition until completely free elections are held. Solidarity has agreed to cooperate on pressing matters such as economic reform, but seems unlikely to support Jaruzelski's candidacy for the newly created presidency. Solidarity is hoping that the Communist party will avoid a showdown on the presidency by nominating someone other than Jaruzelski. Said an aide to Lech Walesa: "There has to be someone they can put up who is acceptable to both sides."