Motion for a resolution | Doc. 11863 | 21 April 2009

Democracy and the limitation of mandates

Signatories: Mr João Bosco MOTA AMARAL, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Miloš ALIGRUDIĆ, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Ms Anna BENAKI-PSAROUDA, Greece ; Mr Laurent BÉTEILLE, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Roland BLUM, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Olena BONDARENKO, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Vlad CUBREACOV, Republic of Moldova ; Mr Giuseppe GALATI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Marco GATTI, San Marino, EPP/CD ; Mr Francis GRIGNON, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr José MENDES BOTA, Portugal, EPP/CD ; Mr Jean-Claude MIGNON, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Carmen QUINTANILLA, Spain, EPP/CD ; Mr Kimmo SASI, Finland, EPP/CD ; Ms Renate WOHLWEND, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Among the fundamental values of the Council of Europe democracy is paramount.

Our Organisation plays a major role in promoting the quality of democratic institutions.

There are now examples of elected political leaders in power who hold a referendum to allow them to perpetuate their candidatures, eliminating any constitutional provisions imposing a limitation of mandates.

The limitation of mandates for top presidential or governmental positions is an effective tool against the concentration of power in the hands of one person and his group or political party and therefore should be considered a guaranty for democracy.

The abolition of any constitutional provision with that content should be considered as a threat to democracy, strongly against the principles and values of the Council of Europe.

The Assembly needs to discuss this subject and take appropriate measures in order to prevent that kind of damage to democracy — which is expanding in Third World countries — in the member-countries of the Council of Europe.