Presidential elections in Poland..[ 1390 ]

Poles vote in tight presidential run-off

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, presidential candidate of Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS), speaks to the media next to Marta (C), daughter of the late Polish President Lech Kaczynski, her husband Marcin Dubieniecki (R) and their daughter Martyna outside a polling station in Warsaw, during presidential elections July 4, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta

By Rob Strybel and Patryk Wasilewski

WARSAW | Sun Jul 4, 2010 7:52am EDT

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poles voted on Sunday in a presidential election run-off that will help to decide the speed and scale of economic reforms, and set the tone for Warsaw's relations with its European Union partners and Russia.

The election was called after President Lech Kaczynski and many other top officials died in a plane crash in Russia on April 10.

It pits Kaczynski's identical twin Jaroslaw, the combative eurosceptic leader of the main right-wing opposition party, against Bronislaw Komorowski, candidate of Poland's ruling centrist Civic Platform (PO).

Most opinion polls have signaled a victory for Komorowski, who automatically became acting president on Lech Kaczynski's death in his role as speaker of parliament.

However, polls usually underestimate support for Kaczynski, who has narrowed the gap in recent weeks and lagged by just five percentage points in a first round of voting on June 20.

Financial markets favor a Komorowski presidency, expecting him to work smoothly with Prime Minister Donald Tusk's market-oriented government as it tries to rein in a big budget deficit while keeping a fragile economic recovery on track.

But Kaczynski's blend of Catholic piety, his opposition to spending cuts and privatization and his distrust of big business, EU bureaucrats and Poland's historic foe Russia strike a deep chord, especially among older and poorer voters.

"I voted for Kacyznski because he is honest, trustworthy and a true patriot who will do what is best for Poland," said Ryszard Krysztofik, 80, a retired TV repairman, after voting.

In Poland, the government led by the prime minister sets policy, but the president can propose and veto laws, appoints many key officials and has a say in foreign and security policy.

VETO FEARS

Investors fear Kaczynski would use his presidential veto to block reforms, just as his brother Lech did before his death.

A musician who gave his name as Leslaw, aged 38, said: "Only Kaczynski can block the bills those free-market sharks and crooks will try to force through for the sake of their cronies."

Economists say the zloty and government bonds would weaken in the event of a Kaczynski victory, although not too sharply.

Casting his vote after attending mass at a church in a leafy Warsaw suburb, Kaczynski said: "I appeal to everyone to vote because that is a great value of democracy."

The Komorowski camp fears that the mid-summer timing of the election, combined with unusually hot weather, will help Kaczynski as its younger, wealthier core voters are more likely to take holidays and fail to cast their ballots.

Around 30 million Poles in a total population of 38 million are eligible to vote. Turnout in the first round was 54 percent. Polling stations will close at 8 p.m. (1800 GMT) and exit polls showing final estimated results will be published immediately.

Komorowski, a moustachioed, bespectacled father of five, hopes the government's success in averting recession in Poland during the global economic crisis -- the only country in the 27-strong EU to do so -- will help propel him into the top job.

"Komorowski suits me better, especially his program which is more pro-market," said Maciej Palasz, 33, an engineer.

"We've seen what the Kacyznskis can do, so now let's give Komorowski a chance and see how he performs," said Arkadiusz Navrocki, 25, a cook.

Though seen as capable, Komorowski lacks charisma and has also avoided sharp attacks on Kaczynski due to the latter's bereavement.

Kaczynski, a bachelor who was very close to his twin, has benefited from public sympathy since the crash. The flag above the presidential palace is still flying at half-mast until the arrival of a new head of state.

Kaczynski served briefly as prime minister in 2006-07 when his nationalist views strained ties with the EU, Germany and Russia. But he has struck a conciliatory tone on the campaign trail in a bid to win over middle-of-the-road voters.

Victory would crown a remarkable comeback for a politician who looked weak and marginalized before his brother's death, his party lagging well behind Tusk's pro-business, pro-euro PO.

(Writing by Gareth Jones, editing by David Stamp)

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