Born a man, Anna Grodzka was elected Poland's first transsexual lawmaker in 2011. (Agence France-Presse)
Warsaw:
Polish transsexual lawmaker Anna Grodzka said on Friday she would run for president in May elections, breaking new ground in the staunchly Catholic country.
"Yes, I'll be a presidential candidate," the 60-year-old former filmmaker and publisher told the Wirtualna Polska web site, saying she had the backing of the Green Party.
Born a man, Grodzka was elected Poland's first transsexual lawmaker in 2011. Her candidacy was not expected to significantly change the state of play, four months ahead of the vote.
Incumbent President Bronislaw Komorowski, a centre-right independent who has been in the job since 2010, enjoys a comfortable lead in opinion polls.
Some surveys show the 62-year-old, who is close to the Civic Platform (PO) governing party, winning reelection at the first round.
The conservative opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has chosen 42-year-old lawyer Andrzej Duda as its presidential candidate, while the former communist Social Democrats have tapped 35-year-old Magdalena Ogorek, a political unknown with model good looks and a doctorate in history.
Flamboyant tycoon-turned-politician Janusz Palikot from the centre-left Your Movement party has also thrown his hat in the ring.
Parliament is likely to announce the exact date of the election next week.
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