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Civic Platform candidate Bronisław Komorowski was the clear leader in the first round of the presidential election on Sunday, according to exit polls. He failed to break the 50 percent threshold, however, so a run-off will take place on July 4.

According to a Millward Brown SMG/KRC exit poll conducted for TVN24, Mr Komorowski received 45.7 percent of the vote. His main opponent, Law and Justice candidate Jarosław Kaczyński, received 33.2 percent.

A TNS OBOP poll conducted for TVP put Mr Komorowski and Mr Kaczyński at 40.7 and 35.8 percent, respectively.

“I sincerely thank everyone, and I sincerely ask for more,” Mr Komorowski stated after the exit polls were announced. He added that in the second round he would be fighting for every vote.

“In the second round it becomes a choice between two visions of Poland. We must win for Poland, for democracy,” Mr Kaczyński said.

Turnout in this election, which was called after the April 10 plane crash which took the life of incumbent President Lech Kaczyński – stood at 41.5 percent at 5:00 pm, according to the National Election Commission. That was about six percent higher than turnout at the same time during the 2005 presidential election. Exit polls put total turnout at over 52 percent.

Democratic Left Alliance candidate Grzegorz Napieralski managed to attract more than 13 percent of the vote, significantly more than expected.