Afghan war moves centre-stage in Polish election

By Gabriela Baczynska

WARSAW (Reuters) - The frontrunner in Poland's tight presidential race called on Tuesday for an accelerated pullout of Polish forces from Afghanistan in comments designed to win over leftist voters.

Bronislaw Komorowski, a moderate conservative, and his more right-wing rival, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, are both courting the left after its candidate Grzegorz Napieralski won 14 percent, more than expected, in Sunday's first round of voting.

Napieralski said on Tuesday that withdrawal from Afghanistan and public sector health reform were the key issues for his Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), as it ponders which of the two candidates to endorse in the July 4 run-off vote.

"2011 should be the year for winding down Poland's engagement and 2012 should be the year we pull out," Komorowski, who is also Poland's acting president and speaker of parliament, told a news conference after visiting Afghanistan on Monday.

"If I win these elections, I wish to start curbing our engagement and then to pull out (the troops) during my presidency," he said. A president's mandate is for five years.

In Poland, the prime minister runs the government and holds most political power. But the president can veto laws and has a say in foreign and defence matters. He would have to sign any government decision to bring troops home.

MOUNTING DEATH TOLL

Poland has 2,600 soldiers serving in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. It has lost 18 soldiers, two of them this month, and once-solid public support for the mission has been declining as in many other NATO countries with troops serving there.