The Polish Parliament consists of two legislative bodies. The lower house is called Sejm, and Senate is the upper house. 460 elected deputies sit in Sejm, and 100 senators in the Senate. Candidates standing for Sejm must be citizens of Poland, enjoying full public rights and aged at least 21 on the day of the election. Candidates to the Senate must be 30 years old.
Deputies (Members of Sejm) are returned for the electoral constituency where they won their mandate. Most constituency borders coincide with those of one or several gminas. In large cities constituencies may be smaller in area. During a parliamentary vote, neither members of Sejm nor senators are bound in any way by the instructions of their electorate, but do have the constitutional obligation to be guided by the well-being of the entire Republic.
The Polish political system is based on a party system. In the parliamentary, presidential, and local elections candidates supported by significant political parties stand a better chance of success. Parliamentarians belonging to the same political group create their parliamentary "clubs" within the Sejm and Senate. In practice most of the bills and legislative amendments are brought to the House through the parliamentary clubs.
Parliamentary deputies participate in Sejm sessions and have the right to question members of the Council of Ministers; they work in numerous, permanent or special, committees attached to Sejm or Senate, and established to review various issues related to state administration and public life.
The following permanent committees operate within the Sejm of the Republic of Poland:
1. Administration and Internal Affairs Committee
2. Agriculture and Rural Development Committee
3. Committee on Liaison with Poles Abroad
4. Constitutional Accountability Committee
5. Culture and Media Committee
6. Deputies' Ethics Committee
7. Economic Committee
8. Education, Science and Youth Committee
9. Environment Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry Committee
10. European Committee
11. Foreign Affairs Committee
12. Health Committee
13. Infrastructure Committee
14. Justice and Human Rights Committee
15. Legislative Committee
16. Local Self - Government and Regional Policy Committee
17. National and Ethnic Minorities Committee
18. National Defence Committee
19. Physical Education and Sport Committee
20. Public Finances Committee
21. Rules and Deputies' Affairs Committee
22. Social Policy and Family Committee
23. Special Services Committee
24. State Control Committee
25. State Treasury
FOR MORE DETAILS please visit www.sejm.gov.pl
The following parliamentary clubs operate in the current Sejm and Senate, elected for the term which began in 2007 and will end in 2011:
· Civic Platform (PO)
· Law and Justice (PiS)
· The Left (Democratic Left Alliance - SLD)
· Polish Peasant Party (PSL)
Parliamentary work is coordinated by its statutory bodies:
· Marshals (Speakers) of the Sejm and Senate
· Sejm and Senate Boards (Marshals and Deputy Marshals)
· The Caucus of Seniors (Marshals, Deputy Marshals and Chairpersons of parliamentary clubs)
· Sejm and Senate committees
