Belka: "Right one for the job"

The parliament must now hold a second confidence vote by 25 June.

If Mr Belka, 51, fails to win their support, parliament will be dissolved and national elections will be held.

Mr Belka, a former finance minister, was first appointed to replace Leszek Miller the day after Poland joined the European Union on 1 May.

Nominating his candidate on Friday, Mr Kwasniewski said: "Poland needs a good government that will solve Poland's problems in an effective way and I still believe Belka is the right one for the job."

He urged MPs to support his candidate.

Iraq

In the confidence vote on 12 May, the lower house voted 262-188 against Mr Belka.

He had appealed to MPs to give him a year to introduce reforms to fight poverty and improve healthcare.

He also asked for time to deal with Poland's involvement in Iraq, where it has 2,400 soldiers stationed.

He said he expected to be able to reduce troop numbers next year.

Mr Miller stepped down a day after Poland became the European Union's largest newcomer on 1 May.

The BBC's Adam Easton, in Warsaw, says the political crisis has also proved a major distraction ahead of this Sunday's European elections.