Poland's ruling party leader "very satisfied" with election results
Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, said on Monday evening that PiS is very satisfied with the election results that gave the party a ruling majority in the Sejm, the lower house of parliament.
Kaczynski said his party gained the mandate to continue "the good change." He also said that since 2005 PiS had enjoyed a significant growth in support, "more than two-and-a-half-fold."
"No political party has ever achieved such a result percentage-wise, not to mention such a result in terms of the number of votes," the party leader said, referring to the party's victory after a turnout of 61.74 percent, a high figure for Poland.
PiS won 8.1 mln, or 43.59 percent of the votes, securing 235 mandates in the 460-seat Sejm.
Commenting on the election results to the upper house, which were slightly less favourable for the party, Kaczynski said there is "room for compromise and cooperation in the Senate."
Admitting that PiS will not have an absolute majority in the Senate, Kaczynski said that the upper house is unable to block bills, but the new power structure may prolong the legislative process.
The Senate may amend or even reject bills passed by the Sejm, but its decisions can be outvoted in the lower house by an absolute majority. (PAP)
jd/ mf/
