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Opposition leader insists local election results 'unreliable'

PR dla Zagranicy
Nick Hodge 24.11.2014 09:01
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of conservative opposition party Law and Justice has branded the belated results of the 16 November local elections as 'unreliable,' and his party will stage a protest march in December.

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Law and Justice leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski at a press conference in Katowice, 23 November. Photo: PAP/Andrzej Grygiel

''The election results announced by the National Electoral Commission are untrue, unreliable, so as not to use the word 'falsified','' Kaczynski said on Sunday, after the Saturday night release of results for Poland's regional assemblies.

Of the two largest parties, an exit poll on 16 November had given Law and Justice 31.5 percent of the vote, while Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz's Civic Platform was forecast to garner 27.3 percent.

However, following chronic delays as a result of computer glitches, the official results gave Law and Justice 26.85 percent, and Civic Platform 26.36 percent. The latter won the most actual seats (179) compared with Law and Justice's (171).

''We won the election,'' Kaczynski said.

''However, we probably won it much more strongly and incomparably more effectively than was announced,'' he insisted.

Besides the results for the regional assemblies released on Saturday, earlier last week results were released concerning mayoral elections and other heads of local administration.

Despite criticising the system, Kaczynski has affirmed that his party will not boycott the second round of voting, which concerns candidates who did not secure a 50 percent majority. The second round is scheduled for Sunday 30 November.

Meanwhile, Kaczynski has confirmed that not only will he challenge the results of theelections in court, he will also stage a march on 13 December, marking the anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law by Poland's then communist system in 1981.

Law and Justice traditionally leads a march on this anniversary, but Kaczynski underlined that this year, the march will be open to all who are dissatisfied with the electoral situation. (nh)

Source: PAP

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