Reduction to a minimum of Jewish electoral rights under the new constitution adopted by Poland was pointed out yesterday in a declaration made to the Sejm by the Kolo, the committee of Jewish Sejm deputies.
The new constitution is intended to strengthen the Pilsudski regime against the Endeks, the National Democrats, supply the president of the state with wider powers than he has hitherto enjoyed, and extend the legislative rights of the senate. At the same time, the new constitution limits the election of senators to privileged categories, thus giving rise to the Kolo’s claim that the changes adversely affect Jewish electoral rights.
Kolo demanded the fullest rights for the Jews for the election of legislative bodies.
Stanislaw Car, formerly minister of justice and the author of the new constitution, explained to the Sejm that the constitution does not aim to limit the minority rights of the Jews and he assured his listeners that he did not pay any attention to the advice given him by right wing members, who urged that he abolish Jewish rights from the constitution altogether.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
