Poland’s new parliament choses a speaker, but the transition of power is delayed by president’s move

By MONIKA SCISLOWSKA and VANESSA GERA
Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Poland faces a contentious and protracted transition of power. The president designated the outgoing prime minister to lead the new government in a caretaker capacity, angering a pro-European Union alliance with a strong majority in the new parliament. The chamber overwhelmingly chose a speaker from the alliance that must wait longer to lead. Political opponents accused President Andrzej Duda, who is allied with the prime minister’s right-wing Law and Justice party, of acting against the will of voters by giving him up to four more weeks to lead. They accused the conservative government, in power for eight years, of hanging on to appoint allies.