President of the Republic of Poland
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The President of the Republic of Poland (Polish: Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) is directly elected by the people to serve a term of five years. He can be reelected only once. His rights and obligations are determined by the Constitution of the Republic of Poland. In accordance with the current Constitution, the President of the Republic of Poland is the head of state, the supreme representative of Poland and the guarantor of the continuity of government and is prevented from holding office for more than two consecutive terms. This means that the President heads the executive authority, is appointed to represent Polish interests on the international arena, ensures the observance of the Constitution, and is responsible for the security of the state. The President calls elections to the Sejm and Senate. He has a right to dissolve the parliament when it fails to form a Council of Ministers or pass the budget act. He can (with the Senate's consent) call a national referendum in matters important for the state, requiring the decision of all the citizens.
The President has a free choice in selecting the Prime Minister, yet in practice he usually does not give the task of forming a new government to a politician who does not command a majority in the Sejm.
The President has a right to initiate the legislative process. He has also the opportunity to directly influence it by using his veto to stop a bill; however, his veto can be overruled by a three-fifths majority vote in the presence of at least half of the statutory number of members of the Sejm (230). Before signing a bill into law, the President can also ask the Constitutional Tribunal to verify its compliance with the Constitution, which in practice bears a decisive influence on the legislative process.
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In his role as supreme representative of the Polish state, the President ratifies and revokes international agreements, nominates and recalls ambassadors, and accepts the accreditations of representatives of other states. The President also makes decisions on the award of state distinctions and orders. In addition, he has the right of clemency, viz. he can dismiss final court verdicts (in practice, the President consults such decisions with the Minister of Justice).
The President is also the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces; he appoints the Chief of General Staff and the commanders of all the armed forces; in wartime he nominates the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and can order general mobilization. The President performs his duties with the help of the following offices: the Chancellery of the President, the Office of National Security, and the Body of Advisors to the President.
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| Candidates and nominating parties | Votes 1st round | % | Votes 2nd round | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lech Aleksander Kaczyński - Law and Justice | 4,947,927 | 33.1 | 8,257,468 | 54.04 |
| Donald Franciszek Tusk - Civic Platform | 5,429,666 | 36.3 | 7,022,319 | 45.96 |
| Andrzej Zbigniew Lepper - Self-Defense of the Republic of Poland | 2,259,094 | 15.1 | - | - |
| Marek Stefan Borowski - Social Democracy of Poland | 1,544,642 | 10.3 | - | - |
| Jarosław Kalinowski - Polish Peasant Party | 269,316 | 1.8 | - | - |
| Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke - Janusz Korwin-Mikke Platform | 214,116 | 1.4 | - | - |
| Henryka Bochniarz - Democratic Party | 188,598 | 1.3 | - | - |
| Liwiusz Marian Ilasz | 31,691 | 0.2 | - | - |
| Stanisław Tymiński - All-Polish Citizens Coalition | 23,545 | 0.2 | - | - |
| Leszek Henryk Bubel - Polish National Party | 18,828 | 0.1 | - | - |
| Jan Pyszko - Organization of the Polish Nation - Polish League | 10,371 | 0.1 | - | - |
| Adam Andrzej Słomka - The Polish Confederation-Freedom and the Work | 8,895 | 0.1 | - | - |
| Total (turnout 49.7 %) | 15,046,350 | 100 |
[edit] See also
- Polish presidential elections of 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005
- Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
- List of Polish presidents
- List of Polish monarchs
- Lists of incumbents
- Naczelnik państwa
