- Title: POLAND: POLES VOTE IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
- Date: 10th October 2000
- Summary: WASRAW, POLAND (OCTOBER 8, 2000) (REUTERS) 1. SLV INTERIOR POLLING STATION IN CENTRAL WARSAW 0.05 2. MV PEOPLE REGISTERING FOR THE VOTE AND VOTING (5 SHOTS) 0.39 3. (SOUNDBITE) (POLISH) AN ELDERLY WOMAN, WARSAW RESIDENT SAYING: "I voted for Kwasniewski, he is the only candidate who can represent Poland abroad." 0.49 3. (SOUNDBITE) (POLISH) YOUNG MAN, WARSAW RESIDENT SAYING: "I voted for Andrzej Olechowski, I think he is the best candidate. He has no communist past and he is supported by Poles who, I think, are average, not extremist." 1.03 4. SLV /SCU CURRENT PRESIDENT ALEKSANDER KWASNIEWSKI AND HIS WIFE JOLANTA CASTING THEIR VOTES (2 SHOTS) 1.15 5. (SOUNDBITE) (POLISH) KWASNIEWSKI SAYING: "Whatever the outcome of the elections, Polish goals will remain the same - to have as good relations with ourneighbours as possible and to join the European Union. We are lucky because we live in a country where the elections do not bring any radical changes, the only thing that may change are the people in top positions, faces. The substance, the essence of Polish policies, especially foreign policy will remain the same." 6. ANDRZEJ OLECHOWSKI, CENTRIST CANDIDATE VOTING 1.41 6. MV KWASNIEWSKI AND WIFE LEAVING IN CAR 1.51 7. MV ANDRZEJ OLECHOWSKI CASTING HIS VOTE 1.56 8. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ANDRZEJ OLECHOWSKI SAYING: "I am a practical man, not a virtual man, like most of the politicians. I offer a thorough education and independence. Poland needs both independent parliament and presidential office". 2.13 9. SLV EXTERIORS OF A POLLING STATION 2.17 GDANSK, POLAND (OCTOBER 8, 2000) (TVP - NO ACCESS POLAND/INTERNET) 10. MV MARIAN KRZAKLEWSKI, SOLIDARITY TRADE UNION CANDIDATE WITH HIS WIDE AND SON VOTING 2.31 11. SCU LECH WALESA, FORMER POLISH PRESIDENT AND SOLIDARITY TRADE UNION LEADER CASTING HIS VOTE 2.34 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th October 2000 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: WARSAW AND GDANSK, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Reuters ID: LVA30QPV72RFQNKQ2PEP4VV2NBAC
- Story Text: Poles have voted in presidential elections widely
expected to return to power incumbent Aleksander Kwasniewski,
an ex-communist turned social democrat.
Polling stations opened at 6.00 a.m. (0400 GMT) in a
chilly dawn light to ensure shift workers such as miners could
vote. This is Poland's third presidential elections since the
fall of communism in 1989.
The first exit polls are expected at around 6.30 p.m.
(1830 GMT) and the first unofficial results about two hours
later. The official results will be announced on
Tuesday(October 10).
Surveys indicate that President Kwasniewski is so far
ahead of the other 11 candidates in popularity that the only
question seems to be whether he can muster the 50 percent
support needed to avoid a run-off vote two weeks later.
His centrist and right-wing rivals said they were
confident one of them would challenge the telegenic former
leader of the ex-communist party in a run-off, which will be
held on October 22 if Kwasniewski receives less than 50
percent of the vote.
Marian Krzaklewski -- leader of the ruling Solidarity bloc
(AWS), with which the president has uneasily cohabited since
1997 -- hoped the splintered right-wing electorate would
consolidate behind him in the second round.
Independent centrist Andrzej Olechowski, who ranks second
in popularity polls, was also counting on the second round.
Former president Lech Walesa, whom Kwasniewski defeated
five years ago, put on a brave face in view of his small
public support, which analysts say stems from the quarrelsome
style of his 1990-1995 presidency.
Kwasniewski, 45, admired by supporters for the confidence
with which he presided over Poland's entry to NATO last year
and the political calm he brought to his post, has said
achieving European Union membership will be his top priority
during a second term.
Other main candidates also support quick EU membership,
although Krzaklewski stresses Poland has to preserve its
national identity after its accession.
Poland hopes to join the EU in 2003. Brussels officials
say that 2005 is the bloc's earliest realistic expansion date.
Solidarity-rooted candidates have tried with little
success to discredit Kwasniewski by highlighting his origins
in the pre-1989 communist system. Kwasniewski was a senior
member of the communist party and the sports minister in the
last communist government.
Analysts say that for Polish politicians the presidential
ballot is a prelude for the more important general election,
due next year, which is expected to be won by the opposition
ex-communist SLD, which Kwasniewski led until 1995.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None