The forthcoming presidential election in Poland might be postponed if the authorities decide to declare a state of emergency in the country due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, Michal Dworczyk, the head of the prime minister's Chancellery, said on Wednesday
WARSAW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th March, 2020) The forthcoming presidential election in Poland might be postponed if the authorities decide to declare a state of emergency in the country due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, Michal Dworczyk, the head of the prime minister's Chancellery, said on Wednesday.
The first round of the Polish presidential election is scheduled for May 10.
"The government, parliament and president must make decisions depending on the state of emergency. I imagine such a state might be declared should the situation require so," Dworczyk said.
According to the Polish official, it might happen in a matter of a week, albeit the situation in Poland as it is at the moment does not require a state of emergency to be declared.
"We shall see how the situation proceeds. Of course, I can imagine the election being rescheduled due to the necessity to declare a state of emergency. The current system today has no such opportunity," Dworczyk said.
Poland is among the European countries which have banned the entry of foreigners due to the COVID-19 outbreak, along with restoring controls on the Schengen borders, suspending all commercial air and railroad traffic, banning public gatherings of more than 50 people, and shutting entertainment and public food service sites.
The worldwide spread of a deadly pneumonia-like disease began in China in December and a month later was officially confirmed to be caused by a novel coronavirus strain. On March 11, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 a pandemic.
According to Tuesday's data of the World Health Organization, more than 179,000 people have contracted the virus in over 150 countries, and while the majority of them recovered, more than 7,000 people died. In Poland, there have been 246 confirmed cases, with eight fatalities.
