Religa does his 'duty' and bows out

The respected heart surgeon and senator also endorsed liberal frontrunner Donald Tusk, whose poll ratings have skyrocketed in recent weeks.

Recent polls have shown Tusk doubling his support in the last two months with 37 percent backing, pulling away from right-wing Warsaw Mayor Lech Kaczyński and the leftist Speaker of the Sejm, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz.

Religa, a non-aligned centrist who led polls as recently as June - before Kaczyński and Cimoszewicz officially declared their candidacies - has since seen his support slump to less than 10 percent.

"To protect my vision of Poland, I believe it is my duty as a citizen to support Donald Tusk in these elections. This is necessary to carry out the vision of a modern Poland," Religa said at a news conference last Friday. Political analysts said Tusk has won over key centrist voters with a campaign pitching him as "a man with principles" with the ability to compromise and listen. Tusk has also gained credibility in foreign policy, hosting a visit by German conservative leader Angela Merkel, tipped to win power next month, and travelling to Belarus to visit an ethnic minority group facing official harassment. (Reuters)