Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (January 2023)

(Resolution 1202 (1999) adopted on 4 November 1999) with subsequent modifications of the Rules of Procedure* 

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Rule 54 - Procedure for dismissing the President and Vice-Presidents of the Parliamentary Assembly

54.1. 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 fulfils 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.
A motion for dismissal concerning the same person and based on the same grounds may be tabled only once in the course of an ordinary session of the Assembly.
54.2. A motion for dismissal shall be presented in both official languages and signed by at least one tenth of the component members (representatives and substitutes) of the Assembly belonging to at least three political groups and ten national delegations.
The motion for dismissal shall be published as an official document within twenty-four working hours, forwarded to the member concerned and referred to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, which shall give an opinion on its admissibility. The committee hears the member concerned; the absence of the duly invited member at the meeting is not a valid ground for postponing the committee’s decision. The committee’s opinion shall be approved within twenty-four hours following the reference, if it is decided in the course of a part-session of the Assembly, or otherwise at the meeting which immediately follows the reference. The motion for dismissal shall be put to the vote of the Assembly within twenty-four hours after the approval of the committee’s opinion if it is issued in the course of a part-session of the Assembly, or otherwise at the opening of the part-session which immediately follows the approval of the committee’s opinion.
54.3. A motion for dismissal, presented in both official languages, may also be signed by at least one fifth of the component members (representatives and substitutes) of the Assembly belonging to a least three political groups and fifteen national delegations.
The motion for dismissal shall be published as an official document within twenty-four working hours and forwarded to the member concerned. It shall be put to the vote of the Assembly within twenty-four hours after its publication, if it is issued in the course of a part-session of the Assembly, or otherwise at the opening of the part-session which immediately follows its publication.
54.4. After the publication of the motion for dismissal and until the final decision on the motion is taken, the President or Vice-President ceases to chair the meetings of the Assembly.
54.5. The provisions of Rules 27.5. (alteration of the agenda), 33 (discussion and consideration of texts), 34 (amendments and sub-amendments) and 37 (procedural motions) shall not apply.
54.6. Only the first signatory of the motion, the chairperson of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs or a representative appointed by the committee, the chairperson of each political group or a representative appointed by the group, and the member to whom the procedure relates may be heard in the debate.
54.7. The Assembly shall decide by using the electronic voting system, in accordance with the quorum conditions laid down in Rule 42.3. and by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.
54.8. The voluntary resignation of the member concerned from his or her office shall terminate the procedure.
54.9. The dismissal of the President or Vice-President of the Assembly shall take effect immediately after the announcement that the motion has been carried.
54.10. 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. He or she shall not be granted the title of Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly. A President or Vice-President of the Assembly who has been dismissed from office may not be granted the title of honorary associate of the Parliamentary Assembly.