The June Senate by-election in the Krosnieńsko-Przemyski province, southern Poland, is attracting more and more high profile candidates.
Since the controversial leader of the Self defence party, former deputy PM Andrzej Lepper, announced he is going to run for the Senate this week, more candidates have started to show interest in an upper house by-election, which usually have a very low turnout.
The Democratic Party, which presently has three MPs but no senators, is putting up Jan Kulaj, although he is not a member of the party.
The catholic-nationalist League of Polish Families (LPR), which failed to get into parliament, is also putting up a candidate as are the ruling Civic Platform, and the opposition parties Democratic Left Alliance and Law and Justice. Former speaker in the lower house of parliament, Marek Jurek, will be standing as representative of his newly formed party, Right Poland.
The winner of the by-election, which takes place on June 22, will replace the late Andrzej Mazurkiewicz (Law and Justice) who died on March 21. (mo)