Poles choose leader in runoff election
Source: Agencies |
July 5, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE twin brother of Poland's late president sought to succeed him in office yesterday in a tight presidential runoff election that will determine how far this country goes in embracing free-market reforms.
Both candidates, Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Bronislaw Komorowski, are activists with conservative, Roman Catholic upbringings. Yet they differ sharply on key issues, primarily the role of the state in the economy.
Komorowski would be expected to smooth the way for the government to continue privatizing state-run companies and trim welfare benefits, while Kaczynski, the late president's identical twin, would likely block such moves.
An election was originally set for the fall but had to be called early to replace President Lech Kaczynski, who died on April 10 in a plane crash in western Russia. The crash also killed his wife Maria and 94 others, including many high-ranking military and government officials.
A first round of voting on June 20 ended with no candidate winning an absolute majority, leading to yesterday's runoff between Kaczynski and Komorowski, Poland's acting president and parliament speaker.
More than 30 million of Poland's 38 million citizens can vote. The first exit polls will be released immediately after polls close at 8pm in Poland but official results are not set until today.
Five hours after the polls opened, the state electoral commission said nearly 27 percent of registered voters had cast ballots, higher than expected.
For most of the campaign, Komorowski, a moderate in the governing pro-EU Civic Platform party, has been favored.
Both candidates, Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Bronislaw Komorowski, are activists with conservative, Roman Catholic upbringings. Yet they differ sharply on key issues, primarily the role of the state in the economy.
Komorowski would be expected to smooth the way for the government to continue privatizing state-run companies and trim welfare benefits, while Kaczynski, the late president's identical twin, would likely block such moves.
An election was originally set for the fall but had to be called early to replace President Lech Kaczynski, who died on April 10 in a plane crash in western Russia. The crash also killed his wife Maria and 94 others, including many high-ranking military and government officials.
A first round of voting on June 20 ended with no candidate winning an absolute majority, leading to yesterday's runoff between Kaczynski and Komorowski, Poland's acting president and parliament speaker.
More than 30 million of Poland's 38 million citizens can vote. The first exit polls will be released immediately after polls close at 8pm in Poland but official results are not set until today.
Five hours after the polls opened, the state electoral commission said nearly 27 percent of registered voters had cast ballots, higher than expected.
For most of the campaign, Komorowski, a moderate in the governing pro-EU Civic Platform party, has been favored.
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