Procedure completed
Legal Basis RoP 135
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2008/09/04
Results of vote in Parliament
- Results of vote in Parliament
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Debate in Parliament
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The House held a debate, pursuant to Rule 115 of the Rules of Procedure (debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law), on the coup in Mauritania.The debate was followed by a vote on a motion for a resolution.
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T6-0411/2008
summary
Following the debate that took place on 4 September 2008, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the coup in Mauritania. The text adopted in plenary was tabled as a joint resolution by the EPP-ED, PES, ALDE, UEN, Greens/ALE and GUE/NGL groups.The resolution recalls that a coup took place in Mauritania on 6 August 2008, when President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi was ousted by a group of high-ranking generals whom he had dismissed from office earlier that day. However, the legislative elections of November and December 2006, the senatorial elections of January 2007 and the election of President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi in March 2007 were found to have been fair and transparent by the international observers, including the EU observers and, in particular, Parliament's observation missions, through which Parliament endorsed the legality of the elections.The Parliament condemns the military coup perpetrated by the generals in Mauritania (the second coup in that country in three years) and regrets this setback, given the notable advances made in the development of democracy and the rule of law over the past few years in Mauritania. It calls for the current political tensions in Mauritania to be resolved within an institutional framework reflecting the transition to democracy, and for the constitutional order and civilian rule to be restored as soon as possible.MEPs call for the immediate release of President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi, Prime Minister Yahya Ould Ahmed el-Waghef, and other members of the government, who are still under house arrest in various locations. The resolution also calls for full respect for the constitutional legality of the powers of the Mauritanian President and parliament, implying that the mechanisms for cohabitation between President and parliament and for the balance between executive and legislature need to be adjusted on a basis of respect and within the framework of the constitution. In this regard, the constitutional means and forms required for putting an end to the crisis must be the outcome of an open and frank debate involving the main political forces.The Parliament notes the announcement of new presidential elections by the junta, but deplores the failure of a commitment to neutrality and calls on the military in power to commit themselves forthwith to a timetable for the restoration of the democratic institutions in cooperation with the political forces. MEPs support the AU's efforts to seek a rational solution to the crisis. They insist, however, that the people of Mauritania, who are already severely affected by the economic and food crises, must not be made hostages of the crisis and call on the Commission to implement the support projects for civil society under the European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights. Lastly, the Parliament calls on the Commission to engage in a political dialogue, pursuant to Article 8 of the Cotonou Agreement, with a view to restoring constitutional legality, and to inform Parliament of the outcome of that dialogue. Should it not succeed, the Parliament calls for the reactivation of Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement, which could lead to the freezing of aid, excluding food and humanitarian assistance.
Documents
- Results of vote in Parliament: Results of vote in Parliament
- Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
- Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T6-0411/2008
History
(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)
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Rules of Procedure EP 135
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Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 135
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