THE MOTION CALLING FOR A UN MORATORIUM IS APPROVED BY ITALIAN CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES

According to the operative text the government is committed to “continue, at all multilateral fora, the work already done by Italy with its European partners to favour the presentation of a resolution for a universal moratorium on capital executions.”
Parliament had just discussed three motions asking the government to promote, on behalf of the EU, the presentation of a pro-moratorium resolution at the next UN General Assembly.
Minister Frattini however declared that whilst Italy holds the EU Presidency, it would be “inappropriate and insincere to accept today the commitment to present a resolution at the UN General Assembly, considering the non approval by the majority of European partners”.
“As holders of the EU Presidency, we are not in the position to do such a thing,” Frattini said before proposing a modified version of the three motions’ operative texts.
“This notwithstanding, Italy may continue, as holders of the EU Presidency, to put pressure on and to encourage those countries which are ready both to present a moratorium resolution and to support it with their vote at the UN General Assembly” Frattini added.

HOC: “THE FIRST SIGN OF RECOVERY, BUT THERE IS A NEED FOR MAXIMUM VIGILANCE AND GROWING POLITICAL AND PARLIAMENTARY COMMITMENTS”

July 29, 2003: regarding the approval by the Italian Parliament of the motions on the UN moratorium on capital executions, Marco Pannella and Sergio D’Elia, President and Secretary of Hands Off Cain respectively, jointly declared:
“We find the Italian government’s stance, in the debate fixed by Parliament, to be dangerously unsure, weak and withdrawn compared to ’94 and ’99 and to the statements made on several occasions by Vice Premier Gianfranco Fini and President Silvio Berlusconi during the presentation of the program for the Italian EU presidency at the European Parliament on July 2.
The operative texts of the three motions were all more suitable, clearer, safer and more responsible than that put forward (and approved) by Minister Frattini. We would have preffered the Chanber of Deputies to be less unanimous in giving in to the motifications proposed by Minister Frattini, who had to unexpectedly intervene due to the isolated position the government, including Undersecretary Bonniver, found itself in after rejecting, with unjustified motivations, the operative texts of the motions put forward by AN (National Alliance), DS (Democrats of the Left) and the multilateral proposal made by Alfredo Biondi.
The operative text finally accepted, which had been proposed in extremis by Minister Frattini, does not exclude a resumption of the initiative in view of the UN General Assembly and certainly does not eclude the necessity to be vigilant and for further commitments on behalf of parliamentarians and politicians in Italy within the next few weeks.”