http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/11/world/europe/11kaczynski.html
Lech Kaczynski, the president of Poland, died Saturday after his plane crashed on route to Katyn, in western Russia, where he was due to commemorate the murder 70 years ago of thousands of Polish officers, according to the Polish foreign ministry. He was 61 years old.
Mr. Kaczynski was elected president in 2005 as his twin brother, Jaroslaw, was swept into power as leader of the nationalist-conservative Law and Justice government. This unique constellation of power, led by identical twins, often put Poland on a collision course with its European Union partners and Russia.
Important people dead:
* Lech Kaczyński, President of Poland
* Maria Kaczyńska, First Lady of Poland
* Krystyna Bochenek, Deputy Speaker of the Senat
* Archbishop Miron Chodakowski, Orthodox Ordinary of the Polish Army
* Leszek Deptuła, member of the Sejm
* Grzegorz Dolniak, member of the Sejm
* Janina Fetlińska, member of the Senat
* General Franciszek Gągor, Chief of the Polish Army General Staff
* Grażyna Gęsicka, member of the Sejm
* Przemysław Gosiewski, member of the Sejm
* Mariusz Handzlik, Undersecretary of State in the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland
* Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, member of the Sejm
* Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last President of the Polish government-in-exile
* Sebastian Karpiniuk, member of the Sejm
* Vice Admiral Andrzej Karweta, Commander-in-chief of the Polish Navy
* Janusz Kochanowski, Polish Ombudsman
* Andrzej Kremer, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
* Janusz Kurtyka, Historian and president of the Institute of National Remembrance
* Tomasz Merta, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
* Aleksandra Natalli-Świat, member of the Sejm
* Piotr Nurowski, President of the Polish Olympic Committee
* Maciej Płażyński, President of the Polish Community Association
* Tadeusz Płoski, bishop of the Military Ordinariate of the Polish Army
* Krzysztof Putra, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm
* Andrzej Przewoźnik, Secretary-General of the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites
* Ryszard Rumianek, Rector of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University
* Arkadiusz Rybicki, member of the Sejm
* Sławomir Skrzypek, President of the National Bank of Poland
* Władysław Stasiak, Chief of the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland
* Aleksander Szczygło, head of the National Security Bureau
* Jerzy Szmajdziński, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm
* Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz, member of the Sejm
* Anna Walentynowicz, free trade union activist, member of Solidarity
* Zbigniew Wassermann, member of the Sejm
* Wiesław Woda, member of the Sejm
* Edward Wojtas, member of the Sejm
* Paweł Wypych, Secretary of State in the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland
* Stanisław Zając, member of the Senat
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Polish_Air_Force_Tu-154_crash
Wow, my condolences to their families and the Polish people! The head of the lower house of Parliament is now acting president and has 14 days to call an election day no later than 60 days. |