ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER THE PRESS CONFERENCE HELD IN THE SEAT OF THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (NEC) IN WARSAW

 

 

On 23 October 2005 at 10.10 a.m., a press conference concerning the second round of the Presidential Elections was held  at the seat of the National Electoral Commission in Warsaw at ul. Wiejska.

 

The following participated in the conference:

Deputy Chairman Stanisław Kosmal and Judge Stefan Jaworski.

 

Judge Stanisław Kosmal, who chaired the conference, said that elections started in over 25 polling stations and continue in a quiet and noble atmosphere.

Judge Kosmal also informed the journalists of few incidents such as e.g. in Malbork where on Friday, 21 October 2005, in the late evening hours, chairman of the local electoral commission was assaulted to seize his car. Among other things, the commission’s stamp was in the car.

The local commission received a new stamp and a new computer password and thus the vote started without being disturbed.

This morning, in one of the local electoral commissions in Legnica, the elections started 25 minutes later than scheduled as the person responsible for opening the polling station was late. By the resolution adopted by the local electoral commission in Legnica, the election time will be  extended there until 8.25 p.m.

In Kraków, two polling stations were open with several minutes’ delay, however,  NEC has not received the information whether the elections will be extended.

Another incident was associated with absence of the stamp of a commission in Suwałki in connection with which a resolution was adopted to replace it with a stamp used during the referendum.

Other minor incidents noted were associated with removal of the national flags from the polling stations and also a burglary into a school in which one of the polling stations was located in the Tomaszów Mazowiecki constituency.

The incidents of break of the election silence have been noted. In Gdańsk, agitation leaflets in favor of one of the candidates were dispersed at the entrances to an apartment block and e-mails have been sent encouraging to vote on one of the candidates.

 

NEC will make another announcement concerning the turnout and the course of the elections at 12.10 p.m.