With 15 percent of votes counted, preliminary results released by Poland’s Election Commission put Bronislaw Komorowski on 39 percent, with his main rival Jaroslaw Kaczynski just two percent behind.

The election commission released 15.79 percent of results from wards in various regions of Poland at 00.01 CET, June 21. Bronislaw Komorowski (Civic Platform) is on 39.69 percent of the popular vote, Jaroslaw Kaczynski (Law and Justice) 37.68 percent. In third place is Grzegorz Napieralski (Democratic Left Alliance) on 13.94 percent.

The gap of only two percent between the two leading candidates is closer than exit polls released immediately after polling stations closed at 20.00 CET suggested.

The early official results give the other candidates the following: Janusz Korwin-Mikke 2.27 percent, Waldemar Pawlak 2.20 percent, Andrzej Lepper 1.63 percent, Andrzej Olechowski 1.32 percent, Marek Jurek 0.96 percent, Boguslaw Ziętek 0.17 and Kornel Morawiecki 0.14 percent.

Turnout was 53 percent.

Observers say that only after over 50 percent of the votes are officially counted will an accurate picture of actual vote share emerge. Full results will be released through Monday.

What is certain, however, is that Komorowski and Kaczynski will meet again in the second round of elections, which will take place July 4. (pg)

Source: PAP

Related link: Updated preliminary results

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