Polish president officially takes control of army

Poland's new president formally took control of the nation's armed forces yesterday and unveiled a plaque to the victims of the plane crash that killed his predecessor and 95 other people.
By The Newsroom
Published 15th Aug 2010, 21:04 BST

Bronislaw Komorowski, who as the country's president is commander in chief, assumed command of the armed forces on Army Day, the holiday that honours a Polish victory against Russian Bolsheviks in 1920.

In a ceremony at Warsaw's central Pilsudski Square, Komorowski knelt at a military banner and kissed it as he was surrounded by soldiers. The event was marked by military pomp, including a parade and the firing of cannons.

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Mr Komorowski was sworn in as Poland's new president more than a week ago as successor to Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in the plane crash in Russia.

A bitter political dispute is raging over a memorial to the victims. The focus of controversy is a large wooden cross in front of the presidential palace, which Mr Kaczynski's supporters have surrounded for many days.

They want to keep the cross there until a major memorial is built but other people say a public building is not the right place for a religious symbol in a country that is defined as secular.