Jaruzelski flexes political muscle

Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski gave Poland's communist leadership its biggest shake-up since the military takeover last December.

Monitor correspondent Eric Bourne writes that the changes in the party Politburo July 16 indicate a considerable strengthening of Jaruzelski's middle-of-the-road reform campaign against the conservative opposition.

The most significant individual change in the Politburo deprived its most formidable orthodox Marxist, Stefan Olszowski, of his key position as party secretary for propaganda. His departure may signal a more open information policy as part of Gen. Jaruzelski's efforts to win public confidence in his government and support for an unavoidably austere economic program. Mr. Olszowski remains a member of the Politburo but his loss of specific responsibility seems to confirm months of speculation that he is to become foreign minister.

Significant also is the further promotion of a close Jaruzelski aide, Marion Wozniak, who only last month took over the Warsaw party leadership from a highly unpopular hard-liner.

There are three other newcomers, one to the Politburo and two others to the party Secretariat. All are men of economic expertise and experience and will have strong roles in the general's inner Cabinet on the economy.