France, Strasburg, 21 January / corr. Trend A. Maharramli/ Luis Maria de Puig was elected chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on 21 January. The only candidate, Spaniard Luis Maria de Puig to the post of PACE chairman, was viewed and approved at the PACE winter session which began on 21 January.
The election of Luis Maria Puig was approved at the meeting of a Bureau of PACE on the morning of 21 January. All the political parties represented in the Parliament Assembly voted for Puig.
The Spanish MP was put forward by the Socialist group last weak. Senator Puig led the Committee on Science, Culture and Education in PACE.
According to new changes to the organization's charter, hereafter the chairman will preside over PACE for two years, instead of three years as previously.
Nineteen out of 20 of the PACE vice presidents were also elected. The vice-presidents include Samad Seyidov, the head of the Azerbaijani Parliament Delegation, David Kharutyunyan, the head of the Armenian delegation to PACE and others. The post of vice-president from Cyprus was left vacant. According to the charter, PACE deputy chairmen can be elected twice for a one-year term.