An exit poll has predicted that nationalist opposition candidate Andrzej Duda will win the most votes in the first round of Poland's presidential election and will face incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski in a May 24 runoff.
In the surprise prediction, Duda is expected to capture 34.8 per cent of the vote to Komorowski's 32.2 per cent, according to the IPSOS poll published by the private TVN24 and the state-run PAP news agency after polls closed.
The vote was a test for Poland's two major political forces, represented by Komorowski and Duda, ahead of the country's parliamentary election later this year.
Komorowski, who has served as president since 2010 and is aligned with the centre-right ruling Civic Platform party, called the exit poll prediction a "serious warning" to those who want to have a "reasonable Poland."
A beaming Duda, a member of the conservative nationalist Law and Justice party, said a change in state leadership is needed to secure a "dignified life in a safe Poland, which needs to be mended in many areas."
The exit poll predicted that no candidate would win more than 50 per cent of the votes needed to avoid a runoff and put the turnout at 49.4 per cent.
With most power in the hands of Poland's prime minister and the government, the president mainly has ceremonial duties. But he or she is the commander of the armed forces and has the power to propose and veto legislation.
Official results in the vote are expected on Tuesday.
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