Pundits see Warsaw's Mayoral race as pre-cursor to presidential campaign

The race for the post of President of Warsaw this autumn may prove to be an introduction to the presidential election in 2005. With Andrzej Olechowski from Civic Platform (PO) and Lech Kaczynski from the Law and Justice party (PiS) being the candidates with the greatest chance of proceeding to the second round, the outcome will surely echo along the corridors of power of right-wing parties. "Undoubtedly, the winner of the election in Warsaw will become the cock of the center-right roost," said Andrzej Olechowski. His opponent is not positive, though, whether the local elections could be treated as primary elections for the presidential campaign, given the antipathy that the rest of the country feels towards Warsaw citizens. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A3) M.K.