29/05/2008 | Election observation
A PACE delegation, headed by Mevlüt Çavusoglu (Turkey, EDG), will observe the 1 June parliamentary elections in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” alongside observers from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly and the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). The delegation, to be present in the country as from 30 May, is expected to meet members of the Central Electoral Commission and representatives of political parties, civil society and the media before it observes the ballot and the counting of votes in a sample of polling stations across the country.
28/05/2008 | Monitoring
PACE Monitoring Committee, meeting in Kyiv on 26 and 27 May 2008, welcomed the initiatives taken by the Armenian authorities to address the issues contained in Resolution 1609 (2008) on the functioning of democratic institutions in Armenia. However, it is concerned that, to date, these initiatives have led to only a few tangible results regarding compliance with the demands of the Assembly as set out in this Resolution.
27/05/2008 | Monitoring
PACE Monitoring Committee today expressed great concern at the “deteriorating” human rights situation in Azerbaijan, undermining any efforts being made by the authorities to meet basic democratic standards in the forthcoming Presidential election. In a draft resolution approved today during a meeting in Kyiv, the committee said restrictions on freedom of expression – including harrassment and intimidation of opposition journalists – and limits on freedom of assembly and association were “inadmissible in a Council of Europe member state”, and declared that the issue of political prisoners had not been resolved.
26/05/2008 | President
In the address which he delivered on Saturday at The Hague on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Congress of Europe, PACE President Lluís Maria de Puig paid tribute to the decisive conference which was held from 7 to 11 May 1948 and was destined to have considerable influence over the form subsequently taken by the European Union. He also commended the action of the European Movement which was crucial in bringing the Council of Europe into being in 1949, as well as in the process of European integration from which the European Union grew.
26/05/2008 | President
PACE Standing Committee will meet in Stockholm on Thursday 29 May 2008 at the invitation of the Swedish Parliament. After the opening of the meeting by Lluís Maria de Puig, President of PACE, and a welcome address by Per Westerberg, Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, the Committee will discuss the priorities of the Swedish Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers - the Council of Europe’s executive organ - with Cecilia Malmström, Swedish Minister for European Union Affairs. They will also meet with Erkki Tuomioja, President of the Nordic Council.
23/05/2008 | President
A new book on International parliaments – analysing their growing global importance and providing a guide to around forty of them – was launched yesterday on the fringes of the European Speakers’ Conference taking place in Strasbourg. Written by PACE President Lluis Maria de Puig, who is a historian as well as parliamentarian, the 120-page book (published in French and English) is believed to be the first in this field. “Parliaments are increasingly going global, and I am interested in how this is happening and where it is going,” said the President.
23/05/2008 | Monitoring
PACE Monitoring Committee is due to approve a draft report on “the functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan” on Tuesday 27 May 2008 during its meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine. “This report will lay out a road map for the authorities ahead of the October Presidential election,” said co-rapporteurs Andres Herkel (Estonia, EPP/CD) and Evguenia Jivkova (Bulgaria, SOC), speaking on the eve of the meeting.
23/05/2008 | President
“The Council of Europe, because of its large membership, but even more because of its unique arsenal of legally-binding conventions, monitoring mechanisms and its unparalleled legal and political expertise, represents all of us,” said the Speaker of the Albanian Parliament Jozefina Topalli, addressing fellow Speakers from across Europe in Strasbourg today. Giving a keynote speech on the added value of the Council, she outlined how Albania had benefited from the Council’s assistance for the last 13 years.
23/05/2008 | President
“Parliaments should not only listen to the voice of civil society, but sometimes Parliaments should also take responsibility and lead public opinion when dealing with human rights, rule of law and democracy issues. This has been seen in Europe with abolition of the death penalty, it can be seen in tackling racist and xenophobic tendencies in society”, today said PACE President presenting the conclusions of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament.
23/05/2008 | President
“Finding better ways to involve civil society more closely in political life is currently a key challenge for our parliaments” today said Speaker of the Swedish Parliament Per Westerberg addressing the Conference of Presidents of Parliament. Mr Westerberg stressed that an “independent civil society is a precondition for true democracy and good governance, especially when parliamentary opposition is weak”, and that it “provides politicians with valuable input”, adding that the Swedish Parliament had a long tradition of cooperation with civil society.
23/05/2008 | President
“Citizen participation in political life and in policy formation itself is crucial for the future of our democracies”, says Sonja Licht, President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence on the occasion of 19th European Conference of Presidents of Parliament. “Parliaments and civil society have to establish new arrangements to strengthen their communication and co-operation, such as exchanges of information, public debates on new legislation and financial affairs, and joint hearings on topics of concern,” she added.
23/05/2008 | Monitoring
The members of PACE Monitoring Committee will meet in Kyiv the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament and the Minister of Justice, as well as the heads of the opposition parties and ruling coalition parties.