Walesa’s Lead Grows; Cheney Gives Support

Solidarity leader Lech Walesa has widened his lead over dark-horse challenger Stanislaw Tyminski four days before the final presidential vote, according to an independent poll published today.

In another boost for Walesa, U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney met with the Solidarity leader today in Gdansk and wished him “victory and success” in the runoff election.

“I have certain political experience, and I feel that I have talked today with the man who will win,” Cheney, a former congressman, told Walesa in the presence of reporters at the end of their 40-minute meeting at Solidarity headquarters in Gdansk.

“I wish you victory and success in this difficult task,” he said.

In the poll, 61% of those questioned supported Walesa and 20% backed Tyminski. The remaining 19% were undecided, according to the survey conducted by the private polling service Demoskop and commissioned by the government-owned newspaper Rzeczpospolita.

An opinion poll conducted a week ago by state television put Walesa’s support at 58% and Tyminski’s at 30%.

The poll published today was based on a survey of 988 people across the nation and conducted on Tuesday. No margin for error was given.

Today, Tyminski campaign officials denied a claim made in a report on Polish television that he had beaten his wife and refused to give food and medicine to his children in Canada last year.

The charge was made in a taped interview broadcast late Tuesday by a woman identified only as Clara Fox.

“The information has nothing in common with the truth,” said campaign spokeswoman Agnieska Majewska.

Tyminski acknowledged an acquaintance with the Foxes but said it was only slight.