2019-11-18 19:59 update: 2019-11-19, 17:32
Photo PAP/Leszek Szymański
Deputy speaker of Poland's Sejm (lower house) Malgorzata Kidawa-Blonska has announced her candidature for opposition Civic Platform (PO) and Civic Coalition (KO) in the primaries to presidential elections, PAP has learned from people close to the candidate.
Around 150 members of the PO National Council have co-signed Kidawa-Blonska's candidacy.
In order to be able to register a candidature, 30 signatures are needed. The deadline for announcing PO/KO primary candidatures falls on Tuesday. So far Kidawa-Blonska is the only person to have expressed a desire to run for president for PO/KO.
Earlier on Monday, the deputy speaker informed PAP that she had gathered over 150 signatures from the PO National Council, or about half the body's membership, which is made up of PO management as well as MPs, senators and MEPS of the party. Kidawa-Blonska indicated at the same time that she did not know if anyone else would submit a candidature. "I don't know if any of my other colleagues have announced themselves, but they have until tomorrow," she said. "I know that everyone waits until the last moment to take such a decision."
To date, among the potential rivals to Kidawa-Blonska, the most often mentioned are former Health Minister Bartosz Arlukowicz MEP and former Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski MEP. (PAP)
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