Polish eurosceptic conservatives score absolute majority

Poland's conservative Law and Justice, (PiS) party scored an absolute majority in weekend general elections that ended eight years of centrist rule, official results showed Tuesday.

The party of eurosceptic Jaroslaw Kaczynski picked up 235 out of 460 seats in the lower house of parliament, ousting the governing Civic Platform (PO) liberals, who took 138 seats to become the official opposition.

Three other parties also entered parliament, but the left was ousted from the lower house for the first time since the advent of democracy 25 years ago.

The anti-establishment Kukiz'15 party of punk rocker Pawel Kukiz made a strong parliamentary debut, capturing 42 seats, with what analysts said was a successful pitch to younger, disillusioned voters.

Another newcomer, the liberal Nowoczesna (Modern) party led by economist Ryszard Petru, scored 28 seats on promises of introducing a 16-percent flat tax.

The PSL farmers' party -- the PO's junior coalition partner in the outgoing government -- scraped past the five-percent threshold to enter parliament with 16 seats.

One seat was allocated to the ethnic German minority, under a special constitutional provision guaranteeing representation for the group.

But the United Left, grouping both the ex-communist SLD party and a collection of other leftist and green parties took 7.55 percent of the vote, less than the eight percent it needed as a coalition to enter parliament.

Under the constitution, President Andrzej Duda, who was elected in May with strong PiS backing, must now set the date for the first sitting of parliament.

The lower house, or Sejm, must meet for the first time before November 24, or within 30 days of the election.

Outgoing prime minister Ewa Kopacz must then present her resignation. Duda will then tap a prime minister-designate to form a government with 14 days.

Kaczynski's protege Beata Szydlo is expected to lead the new government.

Turnout was a record high with 50.92 percent of eligible voters turning up at the ballot box on Sunday.

Source: AFP