Civic Platform (PO) plans to hold internal vote that would elect a presidential candidate. According to unofficial information, the party first plans to wait for Donald Tusk's decision regarding his bid - if the former prime minister and outgoing chief of the European Council decides to run for president, there will be no vote.
The possibility of holding a vote that would elect presidential candidate was discussed on Wednesday at a meeting of the Civic Platform National Board.
"Majority were in favour of such vote," a politican from the PO board told Polish Press Agency (PAP).
Potential decision to organise the vote would be taken at a session on November 8 and 9. By that time, according to PAP, Civic Platform would like to receive the final decision from Donald Tusk if he would be interested in running. PAP also informs that it's possible a meeting will be held before the end of the week, between the European Council chief and the head of Civic platform, Grzegorz Schetyna. "If Tusk decides to run, there will no vote," a close associate of the PO leader told PAP.
The vote to elect presidential candidate, if it actually takes place, would involve not only Civic Platform, but also all Civic Coalition parties: Modern Party, Polish Initiative, and the Greens. According to PO board members who spoke with PAP, it wasn't decided yet who would be allowed to run in the vote - only members of Civic Coalition parties or, for instance, also Civic Platform sympathisers.
Sympathiser is a status that was added to the Civic Platform statute a few years ago. According to the document, the sympathiser status can be granted to any person "who declares support for goals and values promoted by Civic Platform, and agrees having their personal information in the party's database". Sympathisers must be at least 16 years old.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, PAP