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Polish government faces poll test Polish PM faces local-poll blow
(about 1 hour later)
Poles have been voting in local elections in what is being seen as an important test of support for the ruling conservative government. Exit polls from local elections in Poland have suggested the ruling conservative government has suffered a number of setbacks.
The year-old coalition, headed by the Law and Justice party, faces challenges from the centre-right Civic Platform and an alliance of former communists. The exit polls showed the year-old coalition, headed by the Law and Justice party, behind in the fight for Warsaw council and other city bodies.
The battle for the post of Warsaw mayor is among the most closely watched. Members of the opposition centre-right Civic Platform were claiming victory.
Good results for the Law and Justice party would be a boost for Poland's Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski. The key battle for the post of Warsaw mayor looks likely to go to a second round later this month.
He has been struggling to rebuild a stable parliamentary majority for his governing coalition after it collapsed in September. Overall turnout was forecast to be low. Three hours before polls closed, fewer than 35% of the 30m voters had cast ballots, the national election commission said.
Poland's Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski had been hoping for good results for his Law and Justice party to help rebuild a stable parliamentary majority after his governing coalition collapsed in September.
A scandal over a film apparently showing a prime ministerial aide trying to buy an opposition member's support sparked rival street protests in Warsaw last month.A scandal over a film apparently showing a prime ministerial aide trying to buy an opposition member's support sparked rival street protests in Warsaw last month.
Run-off likelyRun-off likely
The contest for Warsaw mayors pits acting mayor Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz - a former prime minister for the Law and Justice party - against a strong Civic Platform challenger. The exit polls suggested the Law and Justice Party had lost the fight for Warsaw city council and was behind in Lodz, Poznan and Krakow.
The battle for the mayorship of Warsaw has been high profile A Civic Platform leader, Jan Rokita, said: "Friends, it's time to celebrate. We've won."
Opinion polls give Mr Marcinkiewicz a slight lead over former central bank chief Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, but the vote is likely to go to a run-off. Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz faces a run-off for Warsaw mayor
Mr Kaczynski admitted there had been some setbacks, but said: "Despite unprecedented attacks, despite all the provocation we've faced, a large section of the population understands why we do what we do and supports us."
The contest for Warsaw mayors pits acting mayor Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz - a former prime minister for the Law and Justice party - against a strong Civic Platform challenger, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz.
Exit polls put them neck-and-neck and the vote is likely to go to a run-off.
The prime minister's twin brother, Lech Kaczynski, was mayor of Warsaw until he was elected Poland's president in October last year.The prime minister's twin brother, Lech Kaczynski, was mayor of Warsaw until he was elected Poland's president in October last year.
The grouping of former communists and leading figures from the Solidarity movement may pick up support in some elections. The first official results are expected on Monday.
More than 30 million Poles are eligible to vote for tens of thousands of council seats and posts of mayor, with the first official results expected on Monday.
The election results have extra significance because the winners will have a say in how billions of euros in new European Union funding are spent.The election results have extra significance because the winners will have a say in how billions of euros in new European Union funding are spent.