Poland votes in local elections; below right: Hanna Gronkiewicz-waltz as exit poll results are released, Sunday. photo - PAP

UPDATE - An exit poll suggests that the incumbent, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz (Civic Platform) is the outright winner in elections for president of Warsaw, Sunday, receiving 51.6 percent of the vote.

Nationally, Civic Platform beat Law and Justice by a six percent margin in ballots for local councils, a better than expected showing by Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s party, though the margin is four percent more than in the local elections in 2006.

According to the poll by TNS OBOP, Law and Justice’s Czeslaw Bielecki’s received 24.8 percent and in third place was the Democratic Left Alliance’s (SLD) Wojciech Olejniczak on 12.9 percent.

Janusz Korwin-Mikke picked up 5.7 percent.

With over 50 percent of the vote, Gronkiewicz-Waltz, a former head of the National Bank of Poland, would win a second term as the capital’s president without the need for a run-off against the second placed Bielecki in two weeks time.

Gronkiewicz-Waltz said she was surprised that she could have won in the first round, though she will be waiting for the official results to be released before celebrating.

Czeslaw Bielecki "conditionally" congratulated Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz win in the capital and thanked everyone who voted for him and all the Law and Justice party workers who canvassed for him.

Key contests

The battle for Warsaw was part of nationwide local elections in Poland.

In Krakow, Civic Platform’s Stanisław Kracik won 39,1 percent of the vote, two percent ahead of the incumbent president Jacek Majchrowski (independent, former SLD) on 37,1 percent. Law and Justice’s Andrzej Duda received 21 percent, according to the exit poll.

In the central city of Łodz, Civic Platform’s Hanna Zdanowska received 33,5 percent, with SLD’s Dariusz Joński on 24,8 percent. Law and Justice’s Witold Waszczykowski received 16.1 percent of votes cast.

Popularity test

Civic Platform received 33.8 percent of votes in local councils and provincial assemblies. Law and Justice did better than expected, receiving 27 percent of votes. The exit poll has SLD on 15.8 percent and the Polish Peasant’s Party (PSL) on 13.1 percent.

Civic Platform won in the provinces of West Pomerania, Pomorskie, Warminsko-Mazurskie, Lubuskie, Wielkopolska, Kujawsko-Pomorskie, Lower Silesia, Opolskie, Śląsk and Malopolska.

Law and Justice have control of Podlaskie, Mazowieckie, Lodz, Świętokrzyskie, Lubelskie and Podkarpackie.

Leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski told TVP public television that if it were not for the “treacherously planned” split from his party by a number of MPs to form the ‘Poland is the most important’ splinter group, Law and Justice would have won the local elections.    

The results are seen as a test of party popularity ahead of next year's general elections. (pg)

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