The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has adopted a resolution that could pave the way for dismissal of its President Pedro Agramunt.
During its sitting earlier today the Assembly voted 154 to 30 (with 13 abstentions) today to adopt a resolution authored by Liliane Maury Pasquier of Switzerland on Recognition and implementation of the principle of accountability in the Parliamentary Assembly.
“The members of the Parliamentary Assembly are required to act in compliance with the duties and obligations by which they are bound, in particular ethical rules in force. The Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs considers that this requirement shall be more stringent in respect of the Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly and other high elective offices. In order to ensure the democratic functioning of the Assembly, the holders of elective offices, i.e. the Presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly, the vice-presidencies of the Assembly, as well as the chairmanships and vice-chairmanships of committees, shall account for their actions to those who have elected them to those offices,” the resolution reads.
“The committee wishes to reiterate the importance of the principle of accountability, which includes a duty of transparency and an obligation to account for one’s acts, without which the Assembly cannot have any confidence in those it has elected to office,” the document says.
The resolution outlines the procedure for dismissing the President and Vice-Presidents of the Parliamentary Assembly.
Under the document, “the Assembly may terminate the functions of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly or a Vice-President of the Assembly on the ground that he or she no longer enjoys the confidence of the Assembly, be it that he or she no longer fulfills the conditions required for the exercise of that office or is guilty of serious misconduct by seriously or repeatedly violating the provisions of the Code of Conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly.”
According to the resolution, A President of the Parliamentary Assembly who has been dismissed may not rely on the provisions of Rule 20.3. He or she shall not be eligible for re-election to the office of President or for election to the offices of Vice-President of the Assembly, or of chairperson or vice-chairperson of a committee.
The issue of PACE President Pedro Agramunt’s dismissal has been widely discussed after his visit to Syria earlier this year.
