Late Polish president's twin brother to run for president

Updated: 2010-04-27 03

(Xinhua)

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The opposition Law and Justice ( PiS) has appointed Jaroslaw Kaczynski,the twin brother of Poland's late president Lech Kaczynski, the party's presidential candidate.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski said in a statement that he had decided to run for presidency to end the mission of victims of the air crash in Smolensk including his twin brother.

"Poland is our great shared obligation. We are required to overcome our personal pain and to take on this mission despite the personal tragedy. That's why I have taken the decision to run for the presidency of Poland," Jaroslaw Kaczynski was quoted by the PAP news agency as saying.

The April 10 crash of the Polish presidential plane claimed the lives of 96 persons, including President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria.

Poland's acting President and Sejm (the lower chamber of the Parliament) Speaker Bronislaw Komorowski has set June 20 as the date for presidential elections, almost four months ahead of the original schedule.

A second round of elections will be held on July 4 if necessary, according to a decree signed by Komorowski, presidential candidate of the ruling Civic Platform (PO), last Wednesday.

Two opinion polls published by newspapers recently show that Komorowski is a favorite in the presidential race.