Row erupts over Polish president's burial

A row has erupted over where to bury the late Polish president Lech Kaczynski, who died in an aeroplane crash on Saturday. Plans to bury him alongside Poland's kings and heroes have prompted demonstrations.

Reuters

The funeral for Kaczynski and his wife is scheduled for Sunday in the cathedral of Krakow's Wawel castle, followed by burial in the castle grounds. But more than 31,000 people have joined a campaign on Facebook and some have taken to the streets to object to the plan.

Kaczynski and his wife, who were killed along with 94 other passengers, are lying in state in the presidential palace in Warsaw. Thousands of people queued up overnight to pay their respects. The queue stretched for more than a kilometre and some families waited 10 hours to file past the coffins.

Yet late Tuesday several hundred people gathered in the capital, shouting "Not in the Wavel," and brandishing banners saying, "Is he fit to be a king?"

Kaczynski was extremely popular among the rural poor, but was criticised for right wing, nationalist policies.

Meanwhile, the interim president, Bronislaw Komorowski, said the final date of the ballot for Kaczynski's successor will not be announced until 21 April. Under Polish law the election must be held within 60 days of the announcement.

Parliamentary chancellory chief Lech Czapla says it will be 13 June or 20 June.