The Italian Chamber of Representatives approved two...

The Italian Chamber of Representatives approved two motions presented by government MPs that generically require the government to "despite the verified lack of consensus currently at a European level, continue in every forum the intensive political and diplomatic action to arrive at a worldwide abolition of the death penalty and to cultivate among the European partners and the entire United Nations membership a consensus for a strong pronouncement by the UN in favour of a general moratorium on capital executions."
The motions, tabled by Andrea Ronchi (AN) and Giuseppe Naro (UDC) obtained 236 votes in favour from the centre-right groups and 202 against from the opposition.
Both majority motions were approved after the government intervened to modify the texts that had previously called on the government to present the moratorium resolution at the ongoing UN General Assembly.
The opposition, that presented two similar motions, refused to modify the request to the government to act during the GA currently in session and its motions were rejected.
Before the vote, HOC, warning that the Italian government would once again attempt to weaken the motions, had called on opposition MPs to oppose the approval of a vague text.