mixture of Continental (Napoleonic) civil law and
holdover communist legal theory; changes being gradually introduced
as part of broader democratization process; limited judicial review
of legislative acts; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December
1995) was elected for a five-year term by popular vote; election
first round held 5 November 1995, second round held 19 November 1995
(next to be held NA November 2000); results - second round
Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI 51.7%, Lech WALESA 48.3%
head of government: Prime Minister Wlodimierz CIMOSZEWICZ (since 7
February 1996), Deputy Prime Ministers Roman JAGIELINSKI (since NA),
Grzegorz KOLODKO (since NA), and Miroslaw PIETRIEWICZ (since NA)
were appointed by the Sejm
cabinet: Council of Ministers is responsible to the president and
the Sejm; the prime minister appointed and the Sejm approved the
Council of Ministers

Legislative branch: bicameral National Assembly (Zgromadzenie
Narodowe) post-communist parties (PSL 34, SLD 37), post-Solidarity
parties (UW 6, NSZZ 12, BBWR 2), non-communist, non-Solidarity
(independents 7, unaffiliated 1, vacant 1) post-communist parties
(SLD 171, PSL 132), post-Solidarity parties (UW 74, UP 41, BBWR 16),
non-communist, non-Solidarity (KPN 22)
note: four seats are constitutionally assigned to ethnic German
parties
Sejm: elections last held 19 September 1993 (next to be held no
later than 19 September 1997); results - percent of vote by party
NA; seats - (460 total)
Senate (Senat): elections last held 19 September 1993 (next to be
held no later than 19 September 1997); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (100 total)

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the
president on the recommendation of the National Council of Judiciary

Political parties and leaders:
post-Communist: Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) (Social Democracy of
Poland), Jozef OLEKSY; Polish Peasant Party (PSL), Waldemar PAWLAK
post-Solidarity parties: Freedom Union (UW; Democratic Union and
Liberal Democratic Congress merged to form Freedom Union), Leszek
BALCEROWICZ; Christian-National Union (ZCHN), Marian PILKA; Center
Alliance Party (PC), Jaroslaw KACZYNSKI; Peasant Alliance (PL),
Gabriel JANOWSKI; Solidarity Caucus (NSZZ), Marian KRZAKLEWSKI;