• Komorowski consults over new election date
  • 11.04.2010

In the wake of the death of Lech Kaczynski, Speaker of Parliament and now acting head of state Bronislaw Komorowski said in a television address last night that he will announce the revised date for presidential elections after consultations with parliamentary parties.

 

Komorowski said he will name the date of the elections - originally scheduled for autumn this year - within two weeks and then the ballots must occur within a 60 day period, according to Poland‘s constitution. . "I intend to do so after consultations with all parliamentary parties," Komorowski told a shocked Polish nation last night.

Komorowski, who took over after the death of President Lech Kaczynski the responsibilities of head of state, said: "As part of those duties, which fell on me today, I have proclaimed a week of national mourning."

Potentially two presidential candidates for the elections were lost in the crash that killed 96 people near Smolensk air base on Saturday. The candidate for the Democratic Left Alliance, deputy parliament speaker and former defence minister Jerzy Szmajdziński was on the plane. Lech Kaczynski was widely expected to declare that he would be standing for a second term of office.

 

Observers also point out that Bronislaw Komorowski, who is the candidate for the Civic Platform party, is now in a difficult position, as he will have to combining his functions as head of state with being a candidate for the presidential elections. (pg)