The World - News from April 17, 1989

Poland’s Communist Party, which has held an absolute legislative majority for 40 years, will control less than 40% of the next Parliament under a new distribution of seats. The breakdown was revealed in regulations issued by the Council of State, Poland’s collective presidency, for June elections to the Sejm (lower house). The regulations created 108 electoral districts with 157 seats assigned for the Communist Party, 91 for its allies, 16 for small pro-government Christian groups and 161 seats for non-party and opposition representatives. The Communists Party presently has 53% of the seats and its allies have the rest. A new 100-seat Senate also will be chosen in the June elections.