National Assembly (Poland)
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| National Assembly Zgromadzenie Narodowe |
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| Leadership | |
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Marshal of the Senate
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| Seats | 460 deputies and 100 senators ,560 when sitting in joint session |
| Meeting place | |
| The Sejm building in Warsaw | |
The National Assembly (Polish: Zgromadzenie Narodowe) is the name of both chambers of the Polish parliament, a lower house, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and an upper house, the Senate of the Republic of Poland, when sitting in joint session. It is headed by the Marshal of the Sejm (or by the Marshal of the Senate when the former is absent).
Under the 1997 Constitution of Poland the National Assembly has the authority to
- declare the President's permanent incapacity to exercise his duties due to the state of his health (by a majority vote of at least two-thirds of the statutory number of members),
- bring an indictment against the President to the State Tribunal (by a majority of at least two-thirds of the statutory number of members, on the motion of at least 140 members),
- adopt its own rules of procedure.
The National Assembly is also called in order to
- receive the President's oath of office,
- hear a presidential address (however, the President may choose to deliver his address to either the Sejm or the Senate).
In the years 1922–1935 and 1989–1990, it was the National Assembly who elected the President of the Republic of Poland by an absolute majority of votes. In 1935, it was replaced by an Assembly of Electors, which consisted of the Marshal of the Senate (as president of Assembly of Electors), the Marshal of the Sejm, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice, the General Armed Forces Inspector, 50 electors elected by the Sejm, and 25 electors elected by the Senate. The Senate was abolished in 1946 so in 1947 Bolesław Bierut was elected President only by the Sejm. There were no presidents from 1952 until 1989 when the Senate was restored and the National Assembly elected Wojciech Jaruzelski as President.
Since 1990, the President has been elected by the people. However, the President is still sworn in before the National Assembly, which is also the only organ which can declare the President's permanent incapacity to perform his duties, or bring an indictment against him before State Tribunal.
From 1992 to 1997, the National Assembly drafted and passed a new Constitution, which was approved by a national referendum on 25 May 1997.
Members
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 1989–1991
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 1991–1993
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 1993–1997
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 1997–2001
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 2001–2005
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 2005–2007
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 2007–2011
- List of members of the parliament of Poland, 2011–present
