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Opposition Civic Platform Now First in Poland
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The centre-right Civic Platform (PO) is the most popular political party in Poland, according to a poll by PBS DGA published in Gazeta Wyborcza. 39 per cent of respondents would vote for the opposition PO in this Sunday’s legislative ballot, up six points in a week.
The governing conservative Law and Justice Party (PiS) is second with 34 per cent—down four points in a week—followed by the Left and Democracy (LiD) coalition with 15 per cent, the Peasant’s Party (PSL) with seven per cent, the League of Polish Families (LPR) with two per cent, and the Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) also with two per cent. Under the country’s proportional representation system, a party must receive at least five per cent of the vote—and a coalition at least eight per cent—to elect members.
In September 2005, voters in Poland renewed their legislative branch. Final results gave the PiS 26.9 per cent of the vote and 155 lawmakers in the 460-seat lower house. In October, economic expert Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz took over as prime minister and Lech Kaczynski won the presidential election. The coalition government included the PiS, the SRP and the LPR. In July 2006, following Marcinkiewicz’s resignation, Polish president Lech Kaczynski appointed PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski—his twin brother—as the country’s new prime minister.
In July 2007, Lech Kaczynski dismissed agricultural minister and SRP leader Andrzej Lepper over a bribery scandal. The coalition government officially collapsed on Sept. 7, when Poland’s lower house was dissolved after a 377-54 vote, in a motion called by the LiD. An early legislative ballot is scheduled for Oct. 21.
On Oct. 16, Poland’s Central Anti-Corruption Bureau released footage showing former PO lawmaker Beata Sawicka receiving a bribe from an undercover agent. Yesterday, PO leader Donald Tusk questioned the timing of the release, saying, "What must concern us is the use of the fight against corruption, special services and the head of the Anti-Corruption Bureau directly in an election campaign and especially in the finale."
Polling Data
What party would you support in the next election?
|
Oct. 16 |
Oct. 11 |
Oct. 10 |
|
|
Civic Platform (PO) |
39% |
33% |
32% |
|
Law and Justice Party (PiS) |
34% |
38% |
36% |
|
Left and Democracy (LiD) |
15% |
13% |
15% |
|
Peasant’s Party (PSL) |
7% |
7% |
7% |
|
League of Polish Families (LPR) |
2% |
4% |
5% |
|
Self-Defence of the Polish Republic (SRP) |
2% |
3% |
4% |
Source: PBS DGA / Gazeta Wyborcza
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,110 Polish adults, conducted from Oct. 14 to Oct. 16, 2007. Margin of error is 3 per cent.