Poland's Komorowski leads; set to win presidential election (UPDATE)

Polish presidential candidate Bronislaw Komorowski was in the lead during the second round of elections, according to partial poll results early Monday, dpa reported.

Komorowski, of the centre-right Civic Platform party, had 52.63 per cent of the vote, the state election commission said, with 95 per cent of the polls reporting.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, of the rightwing Law and Justice party, had received 47.37 per cent of the vote, the commission said.

Earlier results showed Kaczynski gaining the lead slightly as the race got tighter, but analysts said Komorowski was likely to win because he was favoured in bigger cities that are counted last. Full official results were expected Monday afternoon.

Voter turnout was some 55.3 per cent, the commission said.

The Polish presidential elections were held early in order to find a successor to Lech Kaczynski, who died in a plane crash in April.

"Our Polish democracy has won," Komorowski said Sunday. "And even though we'll have to wait for the big bottle of champagne tomorrow, I think we have enough reason for pride and joy."

The campaign had been "especially difficult because it took place in the shadow of the tragedy," he said.

Kaczynski, the twin brother of Lech Kaczynski, spoke to his supporters in Warsaw, saying his party now had a chance to win in the parliamentary elections scheduled for 2011.

"I congratulate the winner, I congratulate Bronislaw Komorowski," Kaczynski said. "But most of all I want to sincerely thank all those who participated in these elections, and those who supported us. There are many of them. So many that we can surely say that Poland has changed."

Sunday's election follows a first round of voting on June 20, in which no candidate secured a majority.