THE RAPORT OF THE NATIONAL BROADCASTING COUNCIL AS A FORM OF POLITICAL ACCOUNTABILITY

The National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) is subject to political accountability that is enforced under specific procedure that is not applied to any other constitutional body. The procedure is initiated with a yearly report submitted to the Sejm, the Senate and the President of the Republic. The Sejm and the Senate may accept or reject the report by means of a resolution. If one, or both, of the chambers accepts the report, the proceedings is concluded. But the rejection of the report by both chambers opens the way to expiration of the term of office of the Council. However, the expiration will not take place without the approval from the President of the Republic. This means that an unanimous negative assessment of the report of the Council by the Sejm, the Senate and the President of the Republic is required to enforce political accountability of the Council in the form of expiration of its term of office. The political nature of this form of accountability results mostly from the lack of legal specification of the conditions of assessment of the report, which opens the way to application of political criteria of such assessment. Of importance is also the fact that the assessment of the report is made by bodies which are political by nature.