Poland — A pro-business opposition party that wants Poland's troops out of Iraq ousted Prime Minister Jaroslaw Kaczynski's government in parliamentary elections Sunday, as Poles opted for leadership offering a more cooperative approach to the European Union.
Donald Tusk's Civic Platform party led with 40 percent of the vote after 32 percent of the ballots were counted early today, which would give the party 194 seats in the 460-seat Sejm lower house.
That would be short of the 231 needed for a majority - but close enough for it to join with a smaller party to form a government.
"Today I am the happiest person in the world," a teary-eyed Tusk told supporters. "People in Poland voted today to chose their own fate and have put a great responsibility, a great task on our shoulders. We undertake this great responsibility."
Kaczynski conceded defeat late Sunday, saying, "we didn't manage in the face of this unprecedented broad front of attacks," referring to the opposition's campaign.
His Law and Justice party got 32.6 percent of the vote, or 173 seats, according to partial results. Complete results are expected either later today or Tuesday.
Kaczynski said a coalition with the election winner was "out of the question" and pledged to use his time in the opposition to rebuild his forces - and keep a close check on the new government.
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