Pedro Agramunt surprised the members of the PACE Bureau and violated all agreements. He had made an agreement with political factions that he would greet the King of Spain and resign the next day. During the previous days, the majority of PACE delegates was confident that Agramunt would make an announcement on his resignation, but he did not even take part in the Bureau session.
The Bureau session finished, during which Agramunt’s announcement on his resignation was expected. PACE delegates say that this is an unprecedented situation throughout the history of PACE. One by one Bureau members were coming out of the Bureau session rather confused and strained, did not even want to give interviews. They were giving abrupt information on the Bureau looking for paths to freeze Agramunt’s liabilities and organizing the impeachment procedure.
While Bureau members avoided of giving interviews, the press assistant of Agramunt appeared and announced that they are going to make an announcement. None of the Bureau members knew where Agramunt was.
Inasmuch as Agramunt was absent, Bureau session was headed by the British delegate Roger Gale. After the session, he made an announcement on behalf of the Bureau. He noted: “PACE president was not present in the session today to make his announcement. Therefore, I presided the session. Bureau adopted two statements. The first one is that the Bureau does not have trust in the president of the PACE and the second one – as the consequence of the first one, that Agramunt will hereinafter have no right to travel or make announcements in the name of PACE.”
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Ukrainian delegate, Bureau member Georgii Logvynskyi informed that Agramunt’s resignation may occur at any moment or during the PACE session in June or during the next session of the Bureau on May 13, or perhaps Bureau invites an additional session: “If Agramunt eventually insists and does not want to resign, then the PACE will take it into consideration and the Assembly will undertake certain steps.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
