Polish Solidarity facing oblivion

Poland: Support for Solidarity has plummeted

WARSAW, Poland -- An alliance of ex-Communists is poised to send the Polish Solidarity movement into political oblivion, exit polls have indicated.

Solidarity -- the group that played a key role in Poland embracing democracy -- is to lose power and all its parliamentary seats, two polls reported.

They will be replaced in government by the Democratic Left Alliance and its coalition partner, a grouping on course to win about 220 seats in the 460-seat Sejm lower house of parliament and a majority in the upper house, the polls say.

Alliance leader Leszek Miller, who is poised to become Poland's next prime minister, said: "It's the first time since 1989 that any political group got so many votes and a majority of seats in the parliament. This means a great responsibility for us."

RESOURCES Profile: Polish Democratic Left Alliance leader Leszek Miller

Five small parties -- the centrist Civic Platform, the right-wing Law and Justice, Self Defence, the Peasants Party and the ultraconservative League of Families -- also won seats.

Solidarity has suffered defections, infighting and corruption during its last months in power.

They were also unpopular after a summer of discontent which saw the economy falter and massive flooding in the countryside.

The results were a stunning blow for the party, which needed eight percent to stay in parliament but won just 4.5 percent, according to one of the exit polls.

"We have taken political risk and that costs," said Jerzy Buzek, the outgoing Solidarity prime minister, the Associated Press news agency reported.

Exit polls also showed the Democratic Left won control of the Senate, with 75 of 100 seats, the AP said.

Miller, a former Politburo member, has pledged to keep Poland in NATO and on course for European Union membership.

In one of the last campaign speeches President Aleksander Kwasniewski -- an SLD man -- gave tacit support for the group without mentioning it by name.

"Poland needs a government with a stable parliamentary majority ... with which I shall be able to work," he said in a TV address on Friday.

Poland observed a 24-hour ban on campaigning on Saturday ahead of the general election.