For Immediate Release:
June 4, 2009


OTTAWA – Liberal MP and Outreach Co-Chair of the Liberal Party of Canada, Bonnie Crombie, was pleased to represent the party at the Polish Embassy today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first democratic elections in post-war Poland.

“As a member of the Canada-Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group, I was honoured to represent the Liberal Party at the Polish Embassy in Ottawa to mark the 20th anniversary of this watershed event,” said Mrs. Crombie. “The Liberal Party has always lent its voice to the promotion of democracy throughout the world. It was my pleasure to join Polish Ambassador Piotr Ogrodziński and his wife to celebrate this seminal event that paved the way to the liberation of Central and Eastern Europe from the iron grip of communism.”

It was in June 1989 that Tadeusz Mazowiecki formed the first non-Communist government in post-war Poland following almost a decade of upheaval in that country. His victory became the catalyst for the fall of communism and the democratic changes that took place across Central and Eastern Europe, epitomized by the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

“This was not just any election – it represented something profound and changed the face of an entire continent,” said Mrs. Crombie, who represents the riding of Mississauga-Streetsville. “It makes one realize how those who exercise their democratic right to vote can bring about radical change.”

“On behalf of the Liberal Party of Canada, and as one of the almost one million Canadians of Polish descent, I offer the best wishes of my leader and my party to all those marking this special occasion.”

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