Ostatnie proby nowelizacji prawa wyborczego do parlamentu w pracach Komisji Konstytucyjnej Sejmu I kedencji 1922-1927

• Authors: Kamil Kacperski

Title variants

EN

LATE ATTEMPTS BY THE CONSTITUTIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE SEJM OF THE FIRST TERM (1922-1927) TO REVIEW THE LAW ON PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

After the May coup d’état of 1926, the modification of the system of parliamentary elections has become a subject of public debate in the Second Republic, as well as an important element of political dispute in the last year of the Sejm of the first term of office.. The acts governing parliamentary elections, in force since 1922, aroused widespread criticism, except for the left-wing and national minority parliamentary groups. However, between February and September 1927 it has not led to any effective action enabling an evolution of legal norms governing the operation of that element of the constitutional system. The centre left members of the Constitutional Committee were so convinced of their infallibility that even an obvious need for conciliation, to rationalize mechanisms contained in electoral laws, has not compelled them to abandon their most controversial concepts. The members of parliamentary left also have not had a vision, and the slogans of defence of parliamentarism they articulated (in the form applied before May 1926) did not provide adequate justification for their decisions. Therefore, they – together with representatives of national minorities – took an uncompromising stance, leaving no room even for a slight compromise. Bearing in mind these considerations, it is worth noting the position of the Pilsudski’s camp on this issue. Since spring 1926, Prime Minister Kazimierz Bartel has repeatedly raised the issue of electoral reform, but these declarations were not accompanied by real action in parliament. Despite the favourable atmosphere, senators did not submit their own draft of electoral law, nor did they support submissions by the centre-right. Their actions were limited to verbal declarations. It may be assumed with some degree of certainty that this was because, under the regime established in the May coup d’état, the elections were deprived of the function of alternation of power, but had to serve as a means of spreading ideological slogans by the government camp. These actions were not caused by a desire for social acceptance. On the contrary, they only reflected the exercise of control over the general public. It was intended to test public sentiments during the election. However, it was not planned to create state authorities endowed with legitimacy.

Keywords

EN

HISTORY OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (POLAND); PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

• Publisher: Kancelaria Sejmu / Chancellery of the Sejm
• Journal: Przegląd Sejmowy
• Year: 2012
• Issue: 1(108)
• Pages: 71-80

Contributors

author

Kamil Kacperski

• Wydział Nauk Humanistycznych i Społecznych Szkoły Wyższej Psychologii Społecznej w Warszawie, ul. Chodakowska 19/31, 08-815 Warszawa, Polan