The assembly examined in the third reading the proposals for changes in the Constitution bill submitted by the President of the Republic of Poland.
It awarded the President the right to appoint the chief of General Staff and the commanders of individual kinds of armed forces for a specified period of time.
The President shall also appoint the first president of the Supreme Court, the chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court and the chairman and deputy chairman of the Constitutional Tribunal.
The Assembly widened the list of posts that may not be held by senators and deputies.
It accepted the President's suggestion that the new Constitution come into force three months after its promulgation.
In keeping with the new Organic Law, the system of government of the Republic of Poland is based on the division and equilibrium of the legislative (Sejm and Senate), the executive (the President and the Government) and the judiciary arms (courts and tribunals).
The economic system is founded on social market economy based on the freedom of economic activity, private ownership and solidarity, dialogue and cooperation of social partners.
The gmina (commune) is the basic unit of territorial division of the country.
The provisions of the Constitution enhance the powers of the government, especially with regard to the filling of government positions. The Prime Minister shall choose all his ministers
The Constitution envisages the institution of constructive vote of no confidence in the government.
The Assembly adopted a procedure that bypasses the Sejm in the process of appointing new ministers.
The government may classify some bills as urgent ones, so long as they do not deal with taxes, voting regulations, the principles of the system or codes.
The Sejm is to be composed of 460 deputies and the Senate of 100 senators, elected for a four-year term.
The Sejm may override the President's veto of a bill by a three-fifths majority, compared to the two-thirds required at present. The President may not veto the budget act but may ask the Constitutional Tribunal to rule on its conformity with the Constitution.
The holding of a seat in parliament may not be combined with the exercising of the positions of President of the National Bank of Poland, chairman of the Supreme Board of Inspection (NIK), the Ombudsman, the Children's Ombudsman and their deputies, the posts of member of the Monetary Policy Council, the National Broadcasting Council, an ambassador, or with employment in the Sejm, Senate or President's Chancellery or in government administration.
The President is elected in general elections for a five-year term. He shall designate the prime minister, who will propose the composition of the government. He shall dissolve the Sejm if it fails in three attempts to appoint a government or if it fails to adopt the budget bill by the required deadline. The time the president has for signing or vetoing a bill has been shortened to 21 days.
The President shall appoint the First President of the Supreme Court, the chairman of the Supreme Administrative Court and the chairman and vice chairman of the Constitutional Tribunal, as well as the chief of the General Staff and the commanders of the individual kinds of armed forces. These appointments will have to be countersigned by the prime minister.
Legislative initiative shall rest with members of parliament, the President and the government. The new Constitution also introduces civic legislative initiative: a bill may be proposed by a group of at least 100,000 citizens. A bill must be accompanied by calculations showing the financial consequences of its adoption.
The rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal shall be final with regard to acts coming into force after the adoption of the Constitution. However, for two years from the time of the constitution coming into force the Sejm shall still have the ride to override the Tribunal's rulings. The Tribunal will not pass universally binding interpretation of the law. It will resolve disputes over the divisions of powers and examine citizens' complaints over the violation of their constitutional rights.
Under the Constitution, all churches and religious unions enjoy equal rights. The relations between the state and the churches are based on the principles of respect for their autonomy. A concordat and other laws are to define the relations between the Republic of Poland and the Roman Catholic Church.
The state shall guarantee the equality of all people before the law.
The Constitution introduces the requirement of mandatory education up to the age of 18 and guarantees free basic medical care and free education in public schools.
New elements of the Constitution are the chapters dealing with public finance, extraordinary states and the sources of law. The first of them deals with taxes and the state budget, among other things.
If regular constitutional measures are not sufficient for controlling dangers, there is the possibility of introducing the state of war, the state of emergency or the state of natural disaster. When one of the extraordinary states is in force, some civil rights and liberties may be curtailed.
The law of the land shall stem from the Constitution, acts, ratified international agreements and regulations. The Constitution promises the upholding of international law, which gets a high rank in the hierarchy of internal legislation.
The Constitution shall come into force after the passage of three months from its promulgation. It has yet to be endorsed by the nation in a referendum, which has been called by the President for May 25, 1997.