Komorowski sworn in as new Polish president

Bronislaw Komorowski was sworn in as Poland's new president during a ceremony Friday before both chambers of parliament.

Komorowski said in his inaugural speech that the swearing-in of the head of state "is a feast of Polish statehood and Polish democracy, a feast in which every Pole has and should have taken part."

Komorowski, who became acting president after the death of President Lech Kaczynski in an air crash on April 10 near Smolensk, Russia, thanked the almost nine million Poles who contributed to his election. He assured them that he will do his best to meet their expectations and hopes.

The new president pledged to work during his five-year term to help modernize Poland, promote scientific research and work to improve the country's creaky state health system.

"It also showed us all that our society, constitution and democracy, can rise to such a situation," Komorowski said, "The order which we have built over the last 20 years in Poland managed to maintain the continuity of power and to honor the memory of the victims with dignity."

Present at the ceremony were former Polish presidents, Lech Walesa and Aleksander Kwasniewski as well as the president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek.

Komorowski, 58, a graduate of Warsaw University History Department, is Poland's fifth president since 1989. As head of state, he will formally be the supreme commander of the armed forces but most executive powers rest with the cabinet.

Komorowski, the ruling Civic Platform's candidate, won an election run-off held July 4 with 53.01 percent of the votes. His rival, Law and Justice leader and the late president's identical twin brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski, captured 46.99 percent of the vote.

The presidential elections were originally scheduled to be held in October. Komorowski decided to call for an early election in accordance with the election law.

Source: Xinhua