Komorowski wins Polish presidency

---

ISHWARDI: Luscious summer fruit lichees are about to hit the market soon. Photo shows a farmhand spraying pesticides on a tree with sprouting lichees in a garden at Salimpur. — Banglar Chokh

WARSAW, July 5 (Reuters): The ruling Civic Platform party's candidate, Bronislaw Komorowski, won Poland's presidential election, exit polls showed on Sunday, minutes after polling stations closed in the second and final round of voting.
Exit polls by public television said Komorowski, who will replace President Lech Kaczynski who died in a plane crash in April, won 53 per cent of the votes. His opponent, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, twin brother of Lech, received 47 per cent.
A poll by broadcaster TVN showed a tighter race, with Komorowski backed by 51 per cent of voters.
Analysts say Komorowski's victory could pave the way for smoother co-operation between the presidential palace and the government and may boost the zloty currency, even though the move is likely to prove short-lived.
Following are comments of economists, sociologists and political scientists on what Komorowski's victory could mean.
The president's term lasts five years in Poland.
"We expect to see a rally in the zloty Monday. Some investors did reduce zloty risk as the opinion polls began to suggest a higher likelihood of a Kaczynski victory. Positions may now be rebuilt.
"While significant fiscal reforms are still unlikely ahead of next year's parliamentary elections, this result increases the likelihood of reforms and a tight budget in 2012."
"It is difficult to evaluate the new president's views on the economy because, like his opponent, he rather avoided such subjects during the campaign. But whenever there was some mention of this during the debates, it seemed it would be hard to get him to support raising the retirement age, scrapping retirement privileges, lowering spending on the army etc.
"The victory of Komorowski could be seen as a factor supporting fiscal reforms because he's from the ruling party. So one can imagine market reaction could be positive.