On Thursday, the Sejm appointed seven members of the National Electoral Commission. The House decided that Mirosław Suski, Arkadiusz Pikulik, Konrad Składowski, Ryszard Balicki, Maciej Kliś, Paweł Gieras, and Ryszard Kalisz will sit on the committee. Seven of the nine NEC members are chosen by the Sejm, while two seats are filled by other nominating groups. In this session, two candidates were put forward by the PiS club, two by the Civic Coalition, and one each by the PSL-TD, Polska 2050-TD, and Lewica coalitions.
Overall, 239 Members of Parliament voted in favor, 41 opposed, and 94 abstained from the ballot. Following party lines, Mirosław Suski and Arkadiusz Pikulik were recommended by the PiS faction for NEC seats. The Civic Coalition submitted Konrad Składowski and Ryszard Balicki for consideration. The PSL-Trzecia Droga bloc put forward Maciej Kliś, Polska 2050-TD nominated Paweł Gieras, and Lewica backed Ryszard Kalisz.
Ryszard Balicki is a qualified Doctor of Legal Sciences who specializes in constitutional law and serves as a lecturer at the University of Wrocław. In 2010–2011 he worked as a permanent expert for the Extraordinary Commission of the Sejm tasked with drafting amendments to the Constitution, and he contributed as an expert to the Subcommittee on the Development of the “European Chapter.” He was appointed to the National Electoral Commission in 2019 by the Sejm of the previous term.
Paweł Gieras brings experience as a lawyer, public prosecutor, and arbitration judge. He held roles as a curator and court supervisor at the Commercial Court in Kraków and served as the disciplinary spokesperson for the Kraków Bar Association.
Ryszard Kalisz is a lawyer who served as a member of parliament from 2001 to 2015. Earlier, from 1993 to 1996, he was deputy chairman of the State Tribunal, and between 1997 and 2000 he held the post of State Secretary at the Chancellery of the President of Poland, later becoming the Head of the Chancellery. He was the Minister of the Interior and Administration in the government led by Marek Belka from 2004 to 2005.
Maciej Kliś is a lawyer whose work includes involvement in disciplinary proceedings in which he appeared before international sports organizations.
Arkadiusz Pikulik is a lawyer and entrepreneur. He was appointed to the National Electoral Commission in 2019 by the Sejm of the preceding term.
Konrad Składowski is a qualified Doctor of Legal Sciences and a professor at the University of Łódź, with a focus on electoral law. He was elected to the National Electoral Commission in 2019 by the Sejm of the previous term.
Mirosław Suski has served as the Director General of the Łódź Voivodeship Office in Łódź since 2016.
The National Electoral Commission is composed of several roles: one judge from the Constitutional Court designated by its President, one judge from the High Administrative Court designated by its President, and seven individuals who are qualified to hold the position of judge and are appointed by the Sejm.
The term of office for NEC members appointed by the Sejm lasts four years, while the two judges have terms of nine years. This arrangement places NEC governance under a mixed system of parliamentary appointment and judicial oversight, ensuring a balance between legislative oversight and legal expertise.
olnk/PAP
Source: wPolityce