Bolesław Bierut
Bolesław Bierut (President of the Republic of Poland from 5th February, 1947 to 20th November, 1952). During the occupation period he was an NKVD (People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs) officer, later a member of the Polish United Worker’s Party, carrying out the orders of Moscow. He was a supporter of the programme of dependency on the USSR and the Sovietization of Poland, infamous for persecuting Polish patriots during the period of late Stalinism.
On 5th February the Sejm, elected in elections rigged by the communists, declared that due to there being no Senate, the National Assembly was unable to hold presidential elections, as required by Article 39 of the March Constitution. Therefore, the Sejm passed a bill on electing a president, stating that the president is elected solely by the Sejm. This is how Bolesław Bierut became President of Poland. He held the office until the 20th November 1952, i.e. to the moment the Sejm selected the Council of State. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Poland, established on 22nd July, did not provide for the office of President of Poland.