An original translation by Ava Lon with much thanks.

From the Swiss news site, 24 Hours:

The chairmanship of Pro Tell is gutted.
Swiss President Willy Pfund denounced a coup within the association Pro Tell, the gun lobby. He resigned with immediate effect.

Pro Tell defines itself as “the company for a liberal law on weapons.” Its voice weighs in about each policy on weapons. But there is now fire on the top, writes the Tages-Anzeiger in its edition of 12 September.

Its chairman Willy Pfund, 77, resigned Wednesday with immediate effect “for personal reasons”, said Pro Tell Friday. He’ll be temporarily replaced by the vice-president Werner Hohler, until the General Assembly in early 2017 will be able to appoint a new president.

An autocratic management style

The president’s departure does not unfold in serenity, as shown in his email dated August 29 sent to the presidency. Willy Pfund denounces a decision that day that suspends him from office with immediate effect due to a deemed autocratic management style and lack of communication.

The president described the process as a “putsch contrary to the statutes and disrespectful” to the person and work for Pro Tell. “I am upset. Trust is broken in every respect. ”

[…]

Schengen in the viewfinder

Tell Pro does not want to comment on the resignation of its chairman. “We agreed to remain silent,” said the interim president Werner Hohler. This departure will change nothing to the organization. “We will continue in the future to fight for a liberal law concerning arms.”

Pro Tell focuses on the next big battle ahead and particularly close to its heart: the tightening of legislation to come to Switzerland in the wake of what is being prepared in Brussels.

The lobby of 8500 strong, and many federations, could fight the Schengen agreement if the Commission were to require Bern that all gun owners in Switzerland submit to regular inspections. Pro Tell doesn’t want that. (Nxp)

Related:

Also from 24 Hours Switzerland:

The European Union wants to disarm Switzerland

Switzerland: Brussels will toughen its laws on firearms, including introducing psychological and medical tests for holders.

The EU wants [Switzerland] to tighten its laws on firearms. The first sketches of Directive 91/477 forced Simonetta Sommaruga [Swiss Federal Councelor, a socialist] to visit Brussels in mid-June, to plead for Swiss law be allowed to keep the service weapon at home. [Switzerland in NOT part of the EU]

If this derogation is accepted for now, it will be accompanied by many other obligations, such as psychological and medical tests, said the Basler Zeitung in its issue of August 24.

It is supposed to demonstrate that gun owners are not a danger to society and must be supervised. [do you see the contradiction? they are safe, but must be closely watched] Therefore 133,000 people will be compelled to do that: members of shooting clubs but also hunters, collectors or those who possess weapons without being part of a society.

The anti-terrorist law in the European Union already requires gun owners to pass such tests every five years.

Fear of referendum

Switzerland, a member of the Schengen area, is committed to automatically apply European law. Berne will therefore have to adapt its legislation, which could be the subject of a referendum. If not, the vote could result in the late-agreement Schengen-Dublin.

[the shengen and Dublin agreement was apparently signed by the Swiss]

It is to avoid this disaster scenario that Simonetta Sommaruga’s services were activated in June in Brussels for the service weapons to be excluded from the directive. The other obligations will also make the Swiss cringe.

[…]

The Fass 57 threatened [Swiss army riffle]

The terrorist attacks that shook Europe in recent years explain this tougher legislation, but the European Union has had to recognize that none of them had been committed by legally purchased and possessed weapons.

Switzerland could be obligated to destroy hundreds of thousands of weapons and neutralize them. The EU has in his sights rifles with magazines with over 20 rounds and guns that stores more than 10. The assault rifle 57 is particularly threatened with its original magazine of 24 cartridges.

The Directive is currently being processed by Brussels. But it is clear that if it were to pass as is, anyone past active service or is not a member of a shooting club, no longer will have the right to own a firearm. (Nxp)

(Created: 24/08/2016, 10:09)