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Pedro Agramunt, the current President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has been withdrawn from European People's Party (EPP) political group. As Arpine Hovhannisyan, head of the Armenian Parliament Delegation to PACE, told Panorama.am, a heated discussion was held at the EPP group today in the morning.

“Those supporting Agramunt raised an issue, suggesting that the EPP has no right to take such a decision, since there is no legal regulations over the issue. Some members from the delegations of Romania, Moldova, Portugal and Spain more actively opposed the decision. Afterwards, a voting was held which approved that such a decision can be taken. It was adopted in a vote of 30 in favour and 3 abstentions, however the opponents urged that the protocol feature a point noting they have rejected to take part in the voting, arguing it is not prescribed by the faction’s Rules of Procedure. As a result, Agramunt was withdrawn anyway,” Ms. Hovhannisyan detailed.

To remind, on 27 June the PACE adopted a resolution, which makes certain amendments in the Rules of Procedure of the Assembly. The changes allow to dismiss officials during their term of office. To note, the PACE initiated the above-mentioned amendments to dismiss President Pedro Agramunt, since the latter has lost his confidence in the Assembly, failing to submit resignation voluntarily.