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WARSAW-Poles voted heavily on Sunday in a parliamentary election that could weaken the grip of the conservative Kaczynski twins and bring in a government ready to speed up economic reforms and improve relations with EU allies.Turnout, at over 55 percent, was the highest since Poland voted to end communism in 1989. The high level of participation was expected to benefit the Civic Platform, a centre-right opposition party that had an opinion poll lead.The electoral commission said ballot papers had run out in some areas and voting would have to be extended until 10.55 p.m. (2055 GMT). It had originally been due to end at 8 p.m. Exit polls are due after polling stations close.Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski did not appear very optimistic as he voted."We have to accept the will of the voters, that's obvious. We won't get angry at the people and lessons from this campaign will be learned," he said.Platform leader Donald Tusk, tipped to be the next prime minister if his party wins, sounded more upbeat."Of course I expect to win, but I also know perfectly well that it will not be easy and the battle goes on until the last minute," he said.The election was called two years early in the European Union's biggest former communist country after the last coalition collapsed over a corruption inquiry. If no party wins outright, then coalition talks will be needed.The Platform has plans to rebuild relations with EU allies that have suffered under the nationalist brothers. It also aims to pull Polish troops out of the U.S.-led force in Iraq.Opinion polls have put the Platform between 4 and 17 points ahead of the ruling Law and Justice Party of the prime minister and his brother Lech, the president. The polls gave the opposition party up to 47 percent support.If opposition parties win three fifths of the lower house of parliament's 460 seats they would be able to nullify the veto by the president, who does not face an election until 2010.Low turnout in 2005-just 40 percent-was seen as a factor that helped the Kaczynskis secure victory.To read more go to:
As in the days of Noah....
