Government was considering prohibiting political parties that advocated national, racial or religious hatred constituting incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence or which were responsible for propaganda for war in violation of article 20 of the Covenant. 171. In reply, the representative of the State party said that political parties were governed by a law enacted in 1990, requiring that all parties be entered into a registry deposited with the provincial court in Warsaw. Only the Constitutional Court was empowered to refuse to register a party furnishing the required documents. Such refusal could be invoked only if the party aimed at changing the constitutional order by force or if the leaders of the party sought to use violence in public life. Forty parties had been registered in 1990 and 51 applications for registration had been received in the first half of 1991. It was the responsibility of the Constitutional Court to decide if a party was conducting unconstitutional activities and to recommend a change in the party's statutes or programme. Rights of persons belonging to minorities 172. With reference to that issue, members of the Committee wished to have information on ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities in Poland and regarding measures taken to guarantee their rights under article 27 of the Covenant; on the composition and powers of the National and Ethnic Minorities Commission; and on the situation of gypsies in Poland. Further clarification was sought concerning the possibility of minorities receiving general education instruction in their mother tongue, 173. In reply, the representative of the State party said that there were numerous ethnic minorities in Poland, representing a total of 800,000 persons and including 300,000 Ukrainians, 250,000 Belarusians, 200,000 Germans, 20,000 Lithuanians and 15,000 Jews. The National and Ethnic Minorities Commission, which was chaired by the Minister of Culture and the Arts, was responsible for programming State policy and initiatives and for coordinating the administration's actions with regard to minorities. An essential aspect of that policy was to guarantee ethnic minorities the possibility of studying in their mother tongue, although that was easier to provide for those minorities which were not highly dispersed. There were a total of 197 schools where minority languages were taught. Minorities were entitled to set up associations and the State budget provided them with funds. Minorities participated in local government through territorial self-management and the membership of commune-level administrative bodies included minorities. Ethnic minorities were now entitled to days off to observe their religious holidays even if those holidays aid not coincide with the official holidays in Poland. A special commission had also been set up in the Diet, composed of about 20 delegates, who met regularly with minority representatives. 174. There were between 10,000 and 15,000 gypsies in Poland, although their numbers were decreasing owing to immigration to Germany. A gypsy publication, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture and the Arts, had appeared in Poland for the first time in 1990. Many gypsy children did not attend school and efforts were being made to set up special classes for them. Consideration was being given to the teaching of the gypsy language in Polish schools. A special commission was inquiring into recent violence in Poland directed at gypsies and their property. The authorities had strongly condemned those acts and -39-