In Geneva, the dean of socialist deputies was elected to the perch of the Grand Council during the renewal of the Bureau on Thursday. Until now vice-president, Alberto Velasco, 76 years old, is serving his sixth parliamentary term. Of the seven members of the office, again three are women.
Alberto Veslaco sat on the Grand Council from 1997 to 2009 and has been back since 2013. “That means he knows the workings like the back of his hand,” declared his socialist colleague Caroline Marti. Moved by becoming the first citizen of the canton, Mr. Velasco indicated that he arrived in Switzerland at the age of 13 and that after his apprenticeship, he was able to take evening classes to become an engineer.
In compliance with the turnout, MCG Thierry Cerutti assumed the 1st vice-presidency. This “atypical deputy”, as his colleague Sandro Pistis described him, was however not elected with an absolute majority and he only received 34 votes in the second round, more than half of the deputies having voted blank.
Already a member of the office, the Green Dilara Bayrak was elected to the second vice-presidency. The other members of the office are Francine de Planta (PLR), Patricia Bidaux (Le Center), Laurent Seydoux (Liberty and social justice) and Guy Mettan (UDC).
In her speech, outgoing President Céline Zuber-Roy recalled that she had notably committed to reducing the agenda. “In one year, four departments have been treated in their entirety,” noted the liberal-radical, who also welcomed the elimination of old texts, allowing deputies “to concentrate on current issues.”
This article was automatically published. Source: ats
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