Deputy prime minister Waldemar Pawlak (right) is to run for president in the upcoming elections for the Polish Peasant’s Party (PSL).

The decision of the PSL National Executive Committee and Presidium of the party’s Supreme Council confirmed the decision, Wednesday morning.

Earlier this year it had been suggested that the party, which is a junior coalition member of the current government, would choose a woman, deputy speaker in the lower house of parliament, Ewa Kierzkowska as their candidate. But the re-scheduled elections – brought forward to June 20 after the death of President Lech Kaczynski in the Smolensk air disaster of April 10, has meant that PSL needs an immediately recognizable candidate to the electorate, says Stanisław Żelichowski,a  member of the party’s Supreme Council.

“In the case of such a short campaign, we wouldn’t have any time to promote someone less known than him. That would be a waste of time and money,” he told Polish Radio today.

Acting president Bronislaw Komorowski announced that the first round of elections will take place on June 20 with a possible second round – if none of the candidates get the necessary 50 percent plus of the popular vote – will take place on July 4.