As PACE’s internal procedural rules do not provide for an early removal of the president, vice presidents and chairmen of the Assembly committees, and the PACE Bureau is not authorized to dismiss President Pedro Agramunt, the ways out of the situation were discussed both at the Bureau meeting and the summer session’s first plenary meeting on Monday.

In this regard, a special report is expected to be discussed at a PACE plenary meeting on Tuesday.

Speaking at today’s plenary meeting, some deputies called for Agramunt’s removal from office and the election of a new Assembly president to solve the problem in the shortest possible time. PACE members also mulled the issue of electing a new president at the October session.

Some members of the Group of the European People's Party (EPP/CD) urged for a change in the internal Charter of the Assembly in connection with this issue, but asked to apply this change to next presidents.

PACE President Pedro Agramunt, although he took part in the Bureau meeting, did not join today’s plenary meeting.

Agramunt rejected to make any statements to journalists after leaving the Bureau meeting.

The first plenary meeting was chaired by the Assembly vice-president.

Pedro Agramunt, along with Russian State Duma Deputy Chairman Vladimir Vasiliev, visited Syria and held a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad.

The move drew criticism from PACE members, who declared a no-confidence vote against him.

Since Agramunt did not resign and the procedure for impeachment is not prescribed in the Charter, the uncertainty over his fate continues.

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