Polish president Duda aims to ban adoption by gay couples

A week before the second round of presidential elections in Poland, incumbent Andrzej Duda said he would seek to change the constitution to ban gay couples from adopting children.

The legislation would be brought before the parliament on Monday, the conservative leader said.

Duda's liberal challenger in the run-off, Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, also said he was opposed to adoption by gay couples, PAP news agency reported.

Polish lawmaker and LGBT activist Krzysztof Smiszek criticized Duda for proposing something that he said would not have the necessary majority in parliament. It was an attempt to mobilize primitive fears to gain votes, he said.

The latest poll puts Duda slightly ahead of Trzaskowski in the run-off next weekend, and predict that he will win with 50.9% of the vote.