Motion for a resolution | Doc. 12095 | 10 December 2009

An obligatory criterion for the selection procedure of Parliamentary Assembly's presidential candidates

Signatories: Ms Zaruhi POSTANJYAN, Armenia ; Mr Gianni FARINA, Italy, SOC ; Mr Gvozden Srećko FLEGO, Croatia, SOC ; Mr Jean-Charles GARDETTO, Monaco, EPP/CD ; Mr Jan KAŹMIERCZAK, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Markku LAUKKANEN, Finland, ALDE ; Mr Christos POURGOURIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Ms Andreja RIHTER, Slovenia, SOC ; Mr Paul ROWEN, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Piotr WACH, Poland, EPP/CD

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

After the fall of the Berlin Wall on 9 November 1989, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe stated that the Council of Europe was the only organisation capable of encompassing all the countries of Europe once they had adopted democratic norms and standards. The Parliamentary Assembly represents the main political tendencies in each of its member states. It works for the establishment of true democracy, the rule of law, the prevention of fraudulent or dubious elections and fights corruption, as well as unaccountability of power in all member states. The Assembly, especially through its Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), is designed to realize the professed values of liberty and justice for all its members. And as it is always stated, “the Assembly is the conscience of Europe.”

The position of the Assembly's President, as one of the highest officials of the organization, must inspire respect and trust not only in his own society and among his/her nation, but the state he/she represents should not periodically obstruct the main principles of the Council of Europe if it is to be effectively engaged in the monitoring and post-monitoring processes.

Recalling the Assembly's previous reports and resolutions on 10 countries (Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine) currently under monitoring and 4 countries (Bulgaria, Monaco, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" and Turkey) engaged in a post-monitoring dialogue with their inadequately fulfilled reforms in the spheres of protection of human rights and respect for the principles of the rule of law;

Recalling also its many resolutions on the functioning of democratic institutions in all of the above-mentioned countries containing a series of concrete demands placed before the authorities of all these mentioned countries regarding the restoration of the functioning of their democratic institutions;

Considering that these states under monitoring and/or engaged in a post-monitoring dialogue are the main applicants of the European Court of Human Rights, and also due to their non-compliance with their obligations, are often in danger of being deprived of membership and voting rights;

Recalling the principles of democracy promotion in member states under monitoring and post-monitoring process;

The Assembly resolves to reject the candidacy for the Assembly’s president of any representative who represents a state which is currently under monitoring or engaged in a post-monitoring dialogue.