Elections around the world

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Poland

Poland is having two elections; one Parliamentary (25 September 2005) and one Presidential (October 2005).

Flag of Poland

Flag Description

Two equal horizontal bands of white (top) and red; similar to the flags of Indonesia and Monaco which are red (top) and white.

Election type: Parliamentary

Election date: 25 September 2005 (Senate and lower house elections last held on 23 September 2001)

Number of registered voters: 38 028 391 (as at October 2005)

Compulsory voting: No

The Polish Press Agency website Elections 2005 in Poland will be covering both elections. Here you will find election calendars, election surveys and press items.

A BBC News article of 26 September 2005 entitled Polish centre-right claim victory says the result is a snub to the ruling left who have been hit by scandal and seen unemployment soar to eighteen per cent, the highest in the European Union and, that Jaroslaw Kaczynski is expected to be the new Prime Minister.

According to a BBC News article of 27 September 2005 entitled Polish conservatives pick Premier Kazmierz Marcinkiewicz has been elected as Prime Minister in place of the expected Jaroslaw Kaczynski. Some commentary says he was chosen in preference to Lech Kaczynski 's identical twin brother Jaroslaw Kaczynski, in order not to hinder his (Lech's ) brother's Presidency bid.

Poland

Election type: Presidential

Election date: 9 October 2005; Second round: 23 October 2005

Number of registered voters: 38 028 391 (as at October 2005)

Compulsory voting: No

Government

Type: Republic

Chief of State: President Aleksander KWASNIEWSKI (since 23 December 1995). Elected by popular vote for a five-year term. The last Presidential election was held on 8 October 2000. Kwasniewski is not allowed to stand again, having served the maximum two five-year terms permitted.

Party in Government: Democratic Left Alliance

Prime Minister: Marek BELKA (since 24 June 2004)

Branches: Executive-head of state (President) and head of government (Prime Minister).

Legislative—a bicameral National Assembly consisting of an upper house called the Senate or Senat (100 seats where members are elected by a majority vote on a provincial basis to serve four-year terms), and a lower house called the Sejm (460 seats where members are elected under a complex system of proportional representation to serve four-year terms). The designation of National Assembly or Zgromadzenie Narodowe is only used on those rare occasions when the two houses meet jointly.

Judicial-Supreme Court, provincial and local courts, constitutional tribunal.

Political parties (in Parliament): Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Citizens Platform (PO), Self-Defence (SO), Law and Justice (PiS), Polish Peasant Party (PSL), League of Polish Families (LPR), Union of Labor (UP), and Social Democracy of Poland (SdPl).

Suffrage: universal at 18

With almost all of the votes counted, it looks like Poland will go to a second round of voting to elect a President. According to a BBC News article entitled Poland election set for run-off dated 10 October 2005, centre-right Donald Tusk at 35.8 per cent is just ahead of his nearest rival also of the centre-right, Lech Kaczynski at 33.3 per cent. There are ten other candidates trailing well behind. As neither candidate is near the required 50 per cent majority needed for outright victory a second round will be held on 23 October 2005.

According to a BBC News article of 24 October 2005 entitled Kaczynski to be next Polish head Conservative Lech Kaczynski will be the new President winning almost 55 per cent of the vote compared with 45 percent for his rival Donald Tusk.

According to a European Forum article dated 26 October 2005, entitled Lech Kaczynski appointed as new Polish president, Kaczynski will commence his five year mandate on 23 December 2005.

For copyright reasons some linked items are only available to members of Parliament.