President Andrzej Duda said if there are no safety guarantees in May, the presidential election should be postponed. "There's no need at the moment to announce a state of natural disaster or a state of emergency" - he added.
Poland should consider postponing presidential elections scheduled for May 10 if health and safety conditions can't be guaranteed, Poland's President Andrzej Duda said on Monday.
He stressed that the safety of life and health of Poles were his priority.
"In my opinion, there's no need at the moment to announce a state of natural disaster or a state of emergency" - Mr Duda said. He explained that the former case is a prerogative of the Council of Ministers, whereas the latter can be announced by the president, only after a request from the government.
President Duda took part in a "Q&A" session on Facebook. Asked about comments by his rivals in the presidential race, who strongly call for the election to be postponed, the president said: "If it's fine to do normal shopping, it means it's safe enough to go to a polling station, taking the necessary precautions.
The president was also asked about the bill changing the electoral code that would introduce postal voting for the elderly and people under locked down under quarantine. Mr Duda said the proposed changes had "pro-turnout character", and would enforce the common access rule.
The ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party has so far defied calls to postpone the May 10 election, infuriating the opposition by introducing postal voting rules less than six months before the vote in a move branded unconstitutional by critics. Andrzej Duda is an ally of the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party. There are 1,984 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Poland and 26 deaths.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: TVN24