Walesa sets up new party

Lech Walesa, Poland's former president, received approval yesterday for the party which he hopes will draw non-voters to the polls.

Mr Walesa has said the Christian Democracy of Poland party - registered by a Warsaw court - will not compete with Solidarity, the union-led political bloc he also founded.

Mr Walesa endorsed the right-leaning Solidarity Electoral Action ahead of its victory in parliamentary elections in September but said he wanted a new party aimed at attracting the 52 per cent of Poles who did not vote.