Kaczynski twin to stand in polls

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the leader of Poland's rightwing opposition Law and Justice party, is to stand in early presidential elections called to replace his twin brother Lech, who was killed in an air crash this month.

Mr Kaczynski, who has appeared deeply shaken by the loss of his brother, sister-in-law and many close friends and colleagues who died in the April 10 crash of a Polish government aircraft near the Russian city of Smolensk, pledged to "continue their legacy".

"The tragic ending of the life of the president of the republic, the death of Poland's political elite, can mean only one thing for us: to continue their mission. We owe them that, we owe our country that," Mr Kaczynski said in a statement released yesterday.

His announcement focused almost exclusively on the air disaster that killed many of the senior members of the Law and Justice party he founded in 2001 together with his brother, as well as killing many other political and military leaders. There was never much doubt that Mr Kaczynski would take up his brother's mantle in elections set for June 20. Mr Kaczynski has received much sympathy after the crash, but opinion polls still suggest the most favoured candidate is Bronislaw Komorowski, nominee of the ruling Civic Platform party as well as speaker of parliament and acting -president. But some in the media have criticised Mr Komorowski for not -showing enough emotion during the funerals and ceremonies that have gripped the country over the past two weeks.

Before the crash, Mr Kaczynski had negative ratings, due partly to his aggressive language and to his term as prime minister in 2006-07.