Polish opposition names 'future ministers'

Prime Minister Buzek looks set to lose on Sunday

By Ray Furlong in Warsaw

The Polish opposition leader, Leszek Miller, has taken the highly unusual step of announcing key ministers for his new cabinet which he expects to form after parliamentary elections on Sunday.

Mr Miller said rising international tensions coupled with the worsening state of Poland's public finances, made it necessary to announce key cabinet positions now.

His decision shows how confident Mr Miller's Democratic Left Party is ahead of Sunday's elections, in which they are expected to win an unprecedented landslide victory.

Normally it takes weeks of negotiations after an election to form a new ruling coalition.

But this time round the former communist Democratic Left Party is so confident of victory it feels it can announce its key ministers before voting even takes place.

Outright majority possible

Opinion surveys show it could gain over 50% of the vote and form Poland's first one-party government since the communist era.

Mr Miller, the prime minister-in-waiting, said he was announcing his team because of rising international tensions.

He is keen to show Poland will be in safe hands and said it would continue to support any military action taken by the United States after last week's terrorist attacks.

Mr Miller also cited Poland's shaky public finances as a reason for making the cabinet announcement.

His appointment of the liberal economist Marek Belka as finance minister was welcomed by markets worried by a growing budget deficit; it could reach over 10% of GDP next year.