This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.
The Parliamentary Assembly notes first the lack of rules ensuring
the equality of candidates when the Secretary General in office
is standing for re-election. These rules would be aimed at avoiding
the distortions resulting from use of the means available to the
latter in the exercise of his mandate for electoral purposes, unlike
the current practice in many countries. The Assembly has regularly
denounced, in its election observation role, the abusive use of
administrative resources by the incumbent.
Second, the recent election procedure showed that the uncertainty
as to the exact meaning of a “similar status” office according to
the Juncker criteria was prejudicial. As uncertainty exists over
their meaning, the most abusive interpretations can be justified
and the outgoing president of the Assembly can be eliminated with
the determination to take over an assembly which refutes by its
very existence a purely technocratic vision of the organisation.
Third, one could question the total lack of transparency of
the deliberations of the Committee of Ministers on this matter,
related to the voting by secret ballot.
These elections should not give rise to any suspicion.
The Parliamentary Assembly recommends to the Committee of
Ministers to:
start, in co-operation
with the Parliamentary Assembly, to give consideration to the introduction
of minimal rules of ethics applying to the Secretary General and
to the Deputy Secretary General when they stand for re-election.
clarify the meaning of the words ‘similar office’, without
any ostracism on principle with regard to anyone, but taking account
of the purpose of these criteria, to have good candidates at the
helm of the Organisation;
consider the repeal of voting by secret bulletin at the
Committee of Ministers for the election of the Secretary General
and the Deputy Secretary General.
