POLAND
Parliamentary Chamber: Sejm

ELECTIONS HELD IN 1997

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Chamber:
  Sejm


Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):

  21 September 1997


Purpose of elections:

  Elections were held for all the seats of the Diet on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.


Background and outcome of elections:

  The date of the 1997 elections was announced in June by President of the Republic Aleksander Kwasniewski. By the deadline of 1 September for registration of candidates, over 20 parties or coalitions had nominated some 6400 contestants for the 460 Diet seats and approximately 500 for the 100 Senate seats.

The two main rivals in both cases were the ruling Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), led by the ex-communist Social Democracy Party (SDRP) of Mr. Jozef Oleksy, and the Solidarity Election Action (AWS), a right-wing opposition bloc of 36 parties gathered around the Solidarity trade union. These two groups had similar platforms, both favouring pro-market economic policies and, in foreign affairs, supporting integration with the European Union and NATO; AWS, however, put greater emphasis on traditional, Christian values and, among other things, opposed abortion. A third force to be reckoned with was the Freedom Union (UW) headed by Mr. Leszek Balcerowicz, regarded as the architect of Poland’s economic reforms in the 1990s which had led to a current annual growth rate of 6%. The campaign as a whole was generally calm.

On polling day, AWS, founded in 1996 and led by Mr. Marian Krzaklewski, emerged on top with 201 Diet seats to 164 for SLD which, in comparison with the previous (1993) parliamentary elections, gained in vote percentage but not seats. UW had a similar fate while the Peasant Party (PSL), partner in the outgoing governing coalition with the SLD, lost more than 100 seats to fall to fourth place. Only one other group - the Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland (ROP) - crossed the 5% threshold needed for Diet representation. In the Senate races, SLD retained its leading position, trailed closely by PSL.

Given the overall election outcome, Prime Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz (SLD) was replaced by Mr. Jerzy Buzek (AWS) on 17 October; he heads a coalition Cabinet composed of AWS and UW members.

STATISTICS
Round no 1 (21 September 1997): Elections results  
Number of registered electors 28,409,054
Voters 13,616,378 (47.93%)
Blank or invalid ballot papers 528,147
Valid votes 13,088,231

Round no 1: Distribution of votes  
Political Group %
Solidarity Election Action (AWS) 33.83
Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) 27.13
Freedom Union (UW) 13.37
Polish Peasant Party (PSL) 7.31
Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland (ROP) 5.56
German Minority of Lower Silesia n.a.

Round no 1: Distribution of seats  
Political Group Total Gain/Loss
Solidarity Election Action (AWS) 201 +201
Democratic Left Alliance (SLD) 164 -7
Freedom Union (UW) 60 -14
Polish Peasant Party (PSL) 27 -105
Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland (ROP) 6 +6
German Minority of Lower Silesia 2 n.a.

Distribution of seats according to sex:  
Men: 400
Women: 60
Percent of women: 13.04

Distribution of seats according to age:  
20-29 years 13
30-39 years 83
40-49 years 202
50-59 years 136
60-69 years 22
70-79 years 4


Distribution of seats according to profession:

 
Technicians 122
Legal professions 75
Academics/researchers 64
Economists 45
Farmers 32
Medical professions 23
Politicians 21
Clerical staff 7
Journalists/writers/publishers 3
Others 68


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Copyright © 1997 Inter-Parliamentary Union