Poland's ex-communist opposition won enough of the vote to win a narrow lower house majority in today's general election, while the Solidarity government failed to win any seats at all, television exit polls showed.
According to a poll by public television, the Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) won 44.9 per cent of the vote, enough to take 240 seats in the 460-seat Sejm, a 20-seat majority.
A second exit poll conducted by the TVN commercial channel put support for the reformed communists at 43.7 percent, enough for a much narrower four-seat majority.
The right-wing Solidarity government won just 4.6 percent of the vote in the public TV poll, getting thrown out of parliament completely 12 years after the mass movement from which it was drawn toppled Poland's communist-backed rulers.
Five small parties, the Civic Platform, Law and Justice, Self Defence, the Peasants Party and the League of Polish Families won seats. Turnout was very low at 40-43 percent of the electorate.
