Poland’s presidential election: Opposition challenger wants vote annulled over irregularities

The campaign team for the opposition challenger in Poland’s presidential election, Rafal Trzaskowski, says it now wants the vote annulled, citing numerous irregularities. The liberal Warsaw mayor lost the July 12 runoff by a narrow margin to conservative incumbent President Andrzej Duda. Trzaskowski, who received 48.97 percent of the vote, earlier conceded defeat to Duda, who received 51.03 percent.

Trzaskowski’s team and his Civic Platform party lodged a protest with the Supreme Court last week. They argued that state-run media and the government were unfairly involved in boosting Duda’s campaign, while not all Poles abroad were able to cast ballots.

Polish media reported on Wednesday that Trzaskowski’s team and his party are also urging the top court to declare the election void. A spokesman for Trzaskowski’s team, Jan Grabiec, confirmed it to AP.

The court, whose new president was recently appointed with the government’s backing, has until August 3 to rule on this protest and some 6,000 others lodged.