Deputies voted Sept. 7 to dissolve parliament and President Lech Kaczyński set Oct. 21 as the date for early elections, two years ahead of schedule.

A total of 377 deputies voted to cut short the parliamentary term, 54 were against and 20 abstained. A majority of 307 was required to dissolve the Sejm, or lower house. A total of 451 deputies took part in the vote.

The motion to shorten the parliamentary term was supported by deputies of the Civic Platform (PO), Democratic Left Alliance (SLD), Polish Peasants' Party (PSL), the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, the Peasant-National Movement (RLN), a number of Samoobrona deputies and five independent deputies.

Donald Tusk, the leader of PO, the largest opposition party, told parliament, "We have gathered here in order to accept the capitulation of Law and Justice."

Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński's conservative PiS party came to power in late 2005. It went on to form a three-way ruling coalition that was plagued by recurrent crises and recently broke up amid bitter infighting.

The debate preceding the Sept. 7 vote was held in a highly heated atmosphere with deputies shouting, thumping their fists on benches and exchanging insults. PiS deputies praised the government's successes and accused the opposition of carrying out an "aggressive and unjustified attack." The opposition hit back by listing the government's failures and unfulfilled election promises.

"I wish to express my satisfaction with the Sejm's decision to dissolve itself," Prime Minister Kaczyński said after the vote. He added that voters would now decide whether Poland "should continue to follow the road of change" or whether "the oligarchic system created in the 1990s" should continue.

The decision to cut short the parliamentary term came after a marathon parliamentary session lasting almost 10 hours during which deputies took nearly 200 votes and in record time adopted a series of important bills they considered important for the state to be able to function properly in the coming months.

A debate on PO's motions of no-confidence in most of the ministers in the Kaczyński government was supposed to be another item on the agenda of the Sejm meeting. But deputies were prevented from dealing with the motions as the prime minister, in an unprecedented move, asked the president to dismiss the ministers in question.

Kaczyński said the decision to formally dismiss the ministers "was in the interest of the nation and consistent with the constitution." He added "only an utter political adventurer could want Poland to be left without a government."

All the dismissed ministers remained in their ministries, in the posts of secretaries of state. Kaczyński formally assumed personal responsibility for all ministries.

One hour after her formal dismissal, the president reappointed Anna Fotyga as foreign minister and head of the Committee for European Integration. And several hours later, Jerzy Polaczek was reappointed as transport minister. Kaczyński said he would ask his brother, the president, to reappoint other ministers when he sees fit.

"The ministers will be quickly returning to their posts," Kaczyński said. As promised, Sept. 10 he reappointed Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Zyta Gilowska, Health Minister Zbigniew Religa and Defense Minister Aleksander Szczygło.

The opposition decried Kaczyński's decision to dismiss the ministers and then reappoint them as a trick designed to prevent parliament from being able to pass a vote of no-confidence in them.

PO leader Donald Tusk said the prime minister's move was "a violation of the constitution," making it impossible for the opposition to act as a watchdog over the government.