PACE has appealed to the authorities of Andorra’s delegation because of its gender composition
The agenda of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) session launched on January 22d is rather saturated. First they elected the president. Only one candidate was nominated for the post of the President of the Assembly. Michele Nikoletti has been the 31st President of the PACE since 1949, the second Italian in that post.
The next they selected the Vice Presidents. 18 out of 20 vice-chairs were elected, at this point are vacant seats reserved for Russia and Italy. Out of 18 Vice-Presidents, six are women, representing Cyprus, Estonia, France, Portugal, Serbia, Iceland. It should be noted that women have occupied the position of the PACE President three times. Last one was the representative of Cyprus Stella Kiriakides, who was elected last autumn after the scandalous resignation of Pedro Agramunt.
Andorra delegation to PACE is in the center of attention. One of the smallest delegations has broken gender equality. That is why its powers have been challenged. Traditionally, delegates’ powers are approved at the beginning of the session. If there is no objection, the approval of the authorization is done automatically.
Marivon Blonde, a female member of the French delegation to the PACE, made a speech disputing the powers of the delegation, reminding of the demand of equal representation. Of women and men. Women should be represented in the delegation as much as they are in parliament.
The composition of the Armenian delegation to PACE has no gender issues. Head of the NA delegation to PACE and Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly Arpine Hovhannisyan, members of the NA delegation to PACE Michael Melkumyan, Karen Achemyan, Armen Rustamyan, Edmon Marukyan, Naira Zohrabyan, Samvel Farmanyan and Rustam Makhmudyan have been sent to Strasbourg to participate in the Assembly. In total, three women, five men from different factions.
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