PM Donald Tusk is considering not running for president next year, according to press reports, in the wake of the so-called Blackjack affair.

Polska (the Times) newspaper writes that during a crisis meeting of the prime minister’s closest advisors, a ‘Plan B’ for the presidential elections has been drawn up. The original plan was for Tusk to run for president, Grzegorz Schetyna - until last week deputy-PM - would take over as prime minister and the current Speaker of the Sejm, Bronislaw Komorowski would lead Civic Platform’s party in parliament.

But if the investigation into the gambling lobbying scandal does not go the way Civic Platform hope, then Plan B would consist of Bronislaw Komorowski taking over as the party’s candidate for president.

Last week, an opinion poll showed that in a head-to-head run off for president, Donald Tusk would get 37 percent of the vote to possible left wing candidate, and former prime minister, Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz’s 38 percent.

On Saturday, it was revealed that the Anti-Corruption Bureau was making new allegations, suggesting that top politicians were involved in buying and selling shares in the Gdynia and Szczecin shipyards illegally - allegations which the agency in charge of the privatisation of the shipyards denies. (pg)