Polish Presidential Hopeful Denies Making Libya Trips

Canadian businessman Stanislaw Tyminski, challenging Solidarity leader Lech Walesa for the presidency of Poland, has denied assertions by Polish authorities that he made several trips to Libya in the last decade.

The denial came Saturday in a combative news conference, starring both Walesa and Tyminski, broadcast on Polish television.

Tyminski declined, however, to call for an investigation into assertions by Interior Minister Krzystof Kozlowski that Tyminski was issued visas to Poland from the Polish Consulate in Tripoli on seven occasions between 1980 and 1989. “Maybe it was another Stan Tyminski,” he said.

Tyminski left Poland in 1969, at the age of 21, traveled to Sweden and then Canada. He owns businesses in Canada and Peru and has campaigned for the presidency of Poland by presenting himself to voters as a successful businessman who can turn around Poland’s economic fortunes quickly, promising to “make a difference in one month.”

Walesa ridiculed Tyminski, who eliminated Prime Minister Tadeusz Mazowiecki from the running in the first round of national elections Nov. 25, as “an accident on the road to democracy.”

“It’s not possible to achieve miracles very quickly,’ Walesa said. “Quick effects are not possible.”

As with many Poles who were astonished at Tyminski’s showing in the vote, Walesa treated Tyminski with a combination of dismay and contempt. “It’s a scandal to give the presidency to a man who is unknown,” Walesa said. “It’s impossible, giving these powers to a man who came from nowhere.”

Tyminski was equally combative in return. He pointed to a briefcase sitting at his feet and warned Walesa that it contained “damaging” information.

“I have a lot of materials,” Tyminski said, “and I have it here, and some of it is very serious and some of it is of a personal nature. Perhaps I can meet eye to eye with the candidate (Walesa) and talk about it.”

“I demand immediate publication of these documents,” Walesa said angrily. “Absolutely, right now.”

“Perhaps we can talk privately,” Tyminski said. “No,” said Walesa. “If you accuse me, show the documents.”

Tyminski declined, saying he will reveal the contents of his briefcase at the close of the campaign.

Voting will be next Sunday.

Tyminski fought off a steady flow of questions about his background and his economic and political beliefs with generally vague answers. “It’s a question of will,” he said when asked to explain his political views, “how to materialize our philosophy, how to put it into life. The most important question is the will.”

When Polish journalists pressed Tyminski about former secret police agents working in his campaign, he replied that he had taken no great pains to check the backgrounds of people who volunteered to work for him. “These people are not my only close support,” Tyminski said. “Now, there are several million people supporting me.”

The most recent public opinion poll, issued Friday by the state polling agency, showed Walesa leading Tyminski by 58% to 30%, with 12% undecided.