1. A Diet (Sejm) of the Polish People's Republic shall be the highest organ of State authority.

2. Diet as the highest representative of the will of the working people of town and country shall give form to the sovereign rights of the Nation.

3. The Diet shall pass laws, shall adopt resolutions which define basic lines of State activity, and shall exercise control over the work of other organs of State authority and administration.

1. The Diet shall be composed of 460 deputies.

2. The validity of the election of a deputy shall be confirmed by the Diet.

3. No deputy may be prosecuted or arrested without the consent of the Diet, and when the Diet is not holding its meetings, without the consent of the Council of State.

1. The Diet shall meet in sessions. A session of the Diet shall be convened by the Council of State at least twice a year. The Council of State shall also convene a session on a written motion by one-third of the total number of deputies.

2. The first session of a newly-elected Diet shall be convened within a month from the date of the election.

1. The Diet shall elect from among its members a Speaker (Marszałek), his Deputies and Committees.

2. The Speaker or his Deputy shall preside over the debates and supervise the course of the work of the Diet.

3. The debates of the Diet shall be open to the public. The Diet may vote the holding of a secret meeting should this be required in the interests of the State.

4. The order of work of the Diet, the type and number of Committees shall be defined by rules of procedure adopted by the Diet.

1. The Diet shall adopt the national socio-economic plans for a period of several years.

2. The Diet shall annually adopt a State budget.

3. The Diet shall grant approval to the Government regarding the execution of the State budget and of the national socio-economic plan for the preceding year.

1. The right to propose legislation shall be vested in the Council of State, the Government and the deputies.

2. Acts passed by the Diet shall be signed by the Chairman and Secretary of the Council of State. Such acts shall be published in the Journal of Laws (Dziennik Ustaw) by order of the Chairman of the Council of State.

Article 26

The Diet may appoint a commission to examine a specified matter. The terms of reference and procedure of the commission shall be established by the Diet.

The Premier or individual ministers shall answer an interpolation put up by a deputy within the time-limit and in the manner fixed by the Diet.

1. The Diet shall be elected for a term of four years.

2. The Council of State shall make orders to hold elections not later that one month before the expiry of the term of office of the Diet, the polling day to be fixed on a day free of work within two months after the expiry of the Diet's term of office.

1. At its first sitting the Diet shall elect, from among its members, a Council of State composed of -

the Chairman of the Council of State four vice-Chairmen

the Secretary of the Council of State eleven Members.

2.The Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the Diet may be elected to the Council of State as vice-Chairmen or as Members.

3.After the expiry of the term of office of the Diet, the Council of State shall act until the election of a Council of State by the newly-elected Diet.

1. The Council of State shall have power -

(1) to make orders to hold elections to the Diet,

(2) to convene sessions of the Diet,

(3) to watch over the constitutionality of laws,

(4) to establish universally binding interpretation of laws,

(5) to issue law-decrees,

(6) to appoint and to recall plenipotentiary representatives of the Polish People's Republic in other States,

(7) to receive letters of credence and of recall of diplomatic representatives of other States accredited to the Council of State,

(8) to ratify and denounce international treaties,

(9) to appoint to civilian and military posts specified by law,

(10) to award orders and decorations, and to confer titles of honour,

(11) to exercise the right of pardon,

(12) to exercise other functions vested in the Council of State by the Constitution or assigned to it by other laws.

2. The Council of State shall be accountable to the Diet for all its work.

3. The Council of State shall act as a body.

4. The Council of State shall be represented by its Chairman or a vice-Chairman.

1. In the intervals between sessions of the Diet, the Council of State may issue law-decrees. The Council of State shall submit such law-decrees for approval to the Diet at its next session.

2. Law-decrees issued by the Council of State shall be signed by the Chairman of the Council of State and its Secretary. Law-decrees shall be published in the. Journal of Laws by order of the Chairman of the Council of State.

The Council of State shall exercise ultimate supervision over the People's Councils. Specific powers of the Council of State in this respect shall be defined by law.

1. A decision concerning the declaration of a state of war may be adopted only in the event of armed aggression having been committed against the Polish People's Republic, or when, in pursuance of international agreements, joint defence against aggression should be necessary. Such a decision shall be adopted by the Diet, or, when the Diet is not holding its meetings - by the Council of State.

2. The Council of State may proclaim martial law in parts or in the entire territory of the Polish People's Republic, should this be required by considerations of the defence or security of the State. For similar reasons the Council of State may proclaim partial or general mobilization.