Poles are undecided as to who to vote for in presidential elections, the first poll to be taken after the air crash in western Russia reveals.
In a poll taken on April 15 - five days after the fatal air crash in Smolensk killing 96, including Lech Kaczynski and Jerzy Szmajdziński, both expected to run in presidential elections this year - found that 45 percent of respondents didn’t know who to vote for in the brought-forward ballot, which will probably be held on June 20.
The Homo Homini Institute found that from those who had a preference, Bronislaw Komorowski, now acting president, would receive 31 percent of the votes. In second place was Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz on 10 percent.
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, Lech’s twin brother, received just 4 percent support.
The poll also found that support for the ruling Civic Platform has slumped by 11 percent compared to a survey taken two weeks ago. The senior coalition partner would receive 35 percent support if elections were held this month, with the opposition Law and Justice party remaining on 24.6 percent. The Democratic Left Alliance loses by 2 percentage points (12.1%) and Polish Peasant‘s Party up one to 6.2 percent.
The political council of the Law and Justice party is expected to meet on Sunday to choose a candidate to replace the late president Lech Kaczynski. Rzeczpospolita reports that most of the party members are thought to have Jaroslaw as candidate.
If Jaroslaw decides against standing other names in the frame are former justice minister and now MEP ZbigniewZiobro or former finance minister Zyta Gilowska.
The Democratic Left Alliance says it will probably choose a new candidate on Wednesday, the same day as acting president Komorowski will formally announce the new date for the elections originally planned for the autumn.
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