The results of the first round of the presidential election have split Poland in half, with western and northern regions supporting Civic Platform’s Bronislaw Komorowski and eastern and southern the Law and Justice’s Jaroslaw Kaczynski.

Bronislaw Komorowski defeated his main rival in nine regions: Western Pomerania, Pomerania, Masuria, Lower Silesia, Silesia, Lubuskie, Wielkopolskie, Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Opolskie. The rest, seven regions, including Mazovia, Podlaskie, Lodzkie, Swietokrzyskie, Lubelskie, Malopolskie and Podkarpackie, supported mainly Jarosław Kaczynski. Komorowski gained most votes in the coastal region of Pomerania (52,64 percent) and Kaczynski in the mountain region of Podkarpacie (54,92 percent).

The highest turnout was reported in the seaside town of Rewal, where 82,2 percent of people went to polls. Warsaw was the most active city on election day, as 69 percent of inhabitants cast their votes there and the central Mazovia province the most active with 61,02 people participating in the first round.

Meanwhile, only 58 percent of inhabitants of the southern city of Katowice went to polls. The least active region on election day was Opolskie in the west of Poland.

The turnout in the whole country was 54,85 percent.

Bronislaw Komorowski was most successful in cities, in which 46,71 percent of people voted for him, including 52,01 percent in big cities, and Jaroslaw Kaczynski in the countryside, where 45,33 percent of people decided to cast their votes on the Law and Justice’s candidate. (mg)