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Electoral office chief resigns over delayed results

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 20.11.2014 08:56
The head of Poland's National Electoral Office (KBW) has tendered his resignation over continuing problems in releasing the results of the local elections of 16 November.

Kazimierz
Kazimierz Czaplicki, head of Poland's National Electoral Office (KBW). Photo: PAP/Pawel Supernak

Since polls closed at 9 pm on Sunday evening, the KBW has been dogged by the delays in vote counts, with the computer system repeatedly crashing, amid allegations of hacking.

''The computer system that was designed to aid the work of the electoral authorities has shown by its faults that it is not able to fulfil the expectations of the political class and the public,'' commented KBW chief Kazimierz Czaplicki.

The outgoing chief, who had held the post for 23 years, submitted his resignation to Stefan Jaworski, head of the National Electoral Commission (PKW).

The computer system responsible for the vote count was handled by a private company that won a tender three months ago. It won by default as it was the only bidder, according to Justice Minister Cezary Grabarczyk.

Opposition wants shortened electoral terms

Meanwhile, leaders of conservative party Law and Justice and the Democratic Socialist Alliance met on Wednesday, and resolved to push for the elections to be repeated, albeit not immediately.

"What is happening today is a threat to the democratic system, because it appears that we will be faced with results that are difficult to believe in and which cannot be accepted as being authentic,'' said Jaroslaw Kaczynki, leader of Law and Justice.

The two parties want draft legislation to be brought to parliament calling for shortened terms in office of all those elected as a result of Sunday's votes.

Meanwhile, President Bronislaw Komorowski has appealed for calm.

We cannot allow for the integrity of the ballot to be called into question, namely through calls for the elections to be repeated,'' he said.

''That would be complete madness,'' he added.

Thus far, the results concerning 1584 heads of local administration, including city mayors, are through, being confirmed in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

However, on Thursday morning, the results concerning Poland's regional assemblies were still only just beginning to come through.

An Ipsos exit poll on Sunday night gave Law and Justice 31.5 percent, Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz's centre-right party Civic Platform 27.3 percent, junior coalition partner The Polish Peasants' Party 17 percent, and the Democratic Left Alliance 8.8 percent. (nh)

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