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Poland Voters Elect President As Country Seeks Direction

By Stefan J. Bos, Special Correspondent Worthy News

(Worthy News) – People in Poland went to the polls Sunday in what commentators called a razor-blade-close presidential election runoff amid a coronavirus pandemic. Voters were deciding whether to give another chance to the current conservative President Andrzej Duda, or to make the liberal mayor of Warsaw the next head-of-state.It hasn’t been smooth sailing through the troubled waters of Poland’s politics in recent weeks for the incumbent, who is an outspoken friend of U.S. President Donald Trump. Duda is backed by the ruling right-wing party and the government, as he seeks a second 5-year term in Sunday’s elections.

But while state-controlled media sing the praises of the president and government, Duda faces a significant challenge from the liberal pro-European Union Mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski. The mayor, a former European Parliament legislator, runs for the main opposition Civic Platform party. That was in power from 2007 to 2015.

Both candidates are 48 years old. As voters went to the voting booths, the latest opinion polls suggested that a tiny margin may decide the race. Amid calls from both sides to some 30 million eligible voters to cast ballots, turnout was due to be higher than the 64.5 percent in the first round on June 28. At issue is the future direction of this mainly Catholic nation.

Duda bills himself as a socially conservative Roman Catholic, who says he wants to defend the traditional family model and supports the government’s popular and generous welfare scheme. But the president has been criticized by activists for not allowing or promoting more gay rights.

EU CRITICISM

And Duda has drawn criticism from European Union leaders for steps to reduce the independence of the judiciary and media. But liberal Trzaskowski’s victory would give him the power to veto laws passed by the government and its allies.

Speaking to thousands of supporters in recent days, Trzakowski already denounced the governing Law and Justice party. He told them that Poland “needs a president who makes rational decisions and who thinks about the importance of local governments or free media.”The mayor stressed that Poland also requires a president who “will listen to citizens. Who will make rational decisions and stop what he calls violations of the constitution. Someone who will stop the politicizing of independent institutions. ”

The head of Poland’s influential Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Wojciech Polak, said the new president should be conciliatory.

SEEKING DIRECTION

Friends and foes agree that the outcome of the election will decide the shape of politics in deeply divided Poland at least until 2023 when parliamentary elections are planned.

Sunday’s ballot was held despite concerns over the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Voters had to wear masks and, if possible, even gloves, maintain a safe distance, and use hand sanitizer.

They could use their pens to mark ballots. Election officials were wearing masks too and set wide apart from each other. Authorities pledged that ballot boxes would be regularly disinfected and polling stations ventilated.

Poland claims it registered over 37,000 coronavirus infections and almost 1,600 related deaths.