03/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The Head of the Liberal group at the European Convention, Andrew Duff, declared that "It is clear that the Praesidium has already fallen victim to the IGC. It needs to be rescued by the wider Convention…especially by the forceful interaction of the party political groups". Mr Duff also criticised the fact that, "Those, like Mr Blair, who reject an extension of qualified majority voting are condemning the future Union to paralysis. It is nonsense to claim that the Convention should not be changing the balance of power between the institutions when his own proposal for a super-President of the European Council would smash the tried and tested Community method". In the context of the letter from the nine Convention Members who want to maintain the rules from the Treaty of Nice on the institutions, the MEP pointed out that it had been signed "for different and contradictory reasons". Mr Duff announced that he and many other Members of the Convention would insist that, "the integrated presidency, over the longer term, of all the executive function of the Union" is included in the final package". Mr Duff believes that this would act as a catalyst for reaching a final agreement.