Main opposition candidate leaves Poland's presidential race

The main opposition candidate in Poland’s trouble-ridden presidentialelectionsaid Friday she was quitting the race after her support dropped dramatically.

Center-liberal candidate Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska of the Civic Platform party was at one point seen as a strong contender, but lost almost all support after she called for a boycott of theelectionheld amid thecoronaviruspandemic. Scheduled for last Sunday, the election has been postponed to a date yet to be announced.

On Friday, Kidawa-Blonska encouraged Poles to take part in the vote, saying “now we have a chance for a free and democratic election.”

Civic Platform is expected Friday to name a new candidate to run against the frontrunner, incumbent President Andrzej Duda, and a few other candidates.

Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and former foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski have been mentioned as potential new picks. The new candidate will need to gather at least 100,000 signatures of support in a short time.

Sikorski, a member of the European Parliament, said onTwitterhe was “ready to take part in the democratic rivalry.”

The election was postponed four days before it was due to take place amid coronavirus restrictions and political infighting over how and when to hold the vote. The ruling coalition had pushed for an all-postal vote, but the necessary legislation was not ready on time.

The new date should fall before late July. Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has said he would like it to be in June.

Duda, whose term expires Aug. 6, is seeking reelection with the support of the ruling, right-wing Law and Justice party.

(ABC)