With 94 percent of the votes of Poland’s presidential election first round counted, Bronislaw Komorowski is on 41.22 percent votes with Jaroslaw Kaczynski on 36.74 percent. The two will meet again in the second round head-to-head on July 4.

In third place is Grzegorz Napieralski on 13.68 percent. Turnout in snap elections called after the death of Lech Kaczynski in the Smolensk air disaster was 54.85 percent.

The final result will be announced later on Monday, informed secretary of the National Election Committee, Kazimierz Czaplicki but "one should not expect major changes."

The remaining candidates received the following level of support: Janusz Korwin-Mikke 2.46 percent, Waldemar Pawlak 1.81 percent, Andrzej Olechowski 1.43 percent, Andrzej Lepper, 1.32 percent, Marek Jurek 1.04 percent, Boguslaw Ziętek 0.17 percent and Kornel Morawiecki 0.13 percent.

The two candidates going into the second round in two weeks time have lost no time in trying to win over supporters of left wing candidate Grzegorz Napieralski, whose poll ratings improved as the campaign developed. Komowoski, a former Solidarity activists, said the results on Sunday signalled “better times for the left” in Poland.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, in turn, thanked Napieralski for proposing a round table on the health service in Poland and promised “serious talks” with the candidate from the Democratic Left Alliance.

MP from Kaczynski’s Law and Justice party, Mariusz Kaminski, emphasised the common ground between them and the Democratic Left Alliance. He said Kaczynski has a "vision for a social market economy", which, in his opinion, is closer to the leftist electorate than the “liberal policies" of Bronislaw Komorowski. (pg)

Related links:

UPDATED PRELIMINARY RESULTS

ELECTIONS 2010 - FACTSHEET

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