Radical Party newsletter - No. 1, February 10, 1996

Editor: Sandro Ottoni, Ilica 8, 41000 Zagreb, Croatia, tel +385-1-277959, e-mail s.ottoni@agora.stm.it, http//:www.agora.stm.it/pr, telnet: agora

Distribution: Alberto Novi, rue Belliard 89 rem 508, B-1047 Brussels, tel +32-2-2304121, fax +32-2-2303670

published in English, French, Italian, Russian and Spanish

MADRID. SPANISH PREMIER FELIPE GONZALES RECEIVES RADICAL PARTY MEMBERS

Madrid, February 2, 1996. Prime Minister of Spain Felipe Gonzales received at the Moncloa MEP Marco Pannella, European Commissioner Emma Bonino and Radical Party General Secretary Olivier Dupuis. During the meeting, President Gonzales reiterated Spain's commitment in being co-sponsor, at the UN General Assembly, of an international moratorium on criminal executions, and of the convening of a Plenipotentiary Conference to establish a Permanent International Criminal Court. In his position of General Secretary of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party, Mr Gonzales has also shown interest for the Radical Party campaign "Freedom for Tibet".

MADRID. VISIT WITH THE EDITOR'S OFFICE OF "EL MUNDO"

Following the meeting with Mr Gonzales, the radical delegation met Mr Pedro Rota, editor-in-chief of the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo", together with other journalists. Particularly interested in the "Freedom for Tibet" campaign, Mr Rota decided to give special attention to the Tibetan cause in his paper, and to fly the Tibetan flag from the "El Mundo" headquarters on the upcoming March 10.

APPEAL FOR THE PERMANENT INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

A collection of signatures from parliamentarians all over the world is currently under way in support of an appeal addressed to UN Secretary General and the members of the Preparatory Committee for the establishment of the Permanent International Criminal Court. The Committee will gather during two sessions, in March and in August, in order to define the procedures for the establishment of the Court, and, above all, to prepare its Statute. This is a crucial step which absolutely must be reached, so that by the next session of the UN General Assembly, they can decide to convene, for 1997, the Plenipotentiary Conference for the establishment of the Court. The appeal, which will be distributed in many parliaments all over the world, is aimed at avoiding further delays and bureaucratic obstacles which are currently inhibiting what will be the first juridical segment of a new international law.

ANTIPROHIBITIONISM. CORA'S CONFERENCE. INTERNATIONAL REORGANIZATION OR LIQUIDATION

The seventh conference of the Antiprohibitionist Radical Coordination (CORA) took place in Rome on January 26, 27 and 28. The final resolution salutes the success achieved in Italy by the collection of over half a million signatures calling for a referendum on the legalization of soft drugs. The final resolution also considers "the international reorganization of CORA to be urgent and unpostponable in order that its nature and structure fall in line with its ambitions and goals for which, in the past few years, this unique political organization has demonstrated not only its will, but also its ability to fight", so that "by June 1996 the first international conference of CORA can be held in Brussels or, if this goal appears unreachable, the congress gives the elected organs the mandate to proceed with the liquidation of the CORA itself". In order to pursue such international reorganization, Messrs Enzo Cucco, Carmelo Palma and Fabrizio Starace were elected and invested with statutory powers.

CUBA. A POSTCARD FOR POLITICAL PRISONERS

The initiative for the release of Cuban political prisoners continues with particular attention to the case of Francisco Chaviano, a lawyer sentenced to 15 years in jail by an illegitimate trial in a military court. Should you wish to participate in the campaign, please ask our offices for ready-made postcards which you can send to Fidel Castro. The postcard states, among other things, that: "... hundreds of political prisoners are lying in the Cuban jails. The social, civil, political and economic life is strangled... a decision must be made, and the necessary reforms must be put under way. This is the signal that the world is waiting for from you, mister President, without further delay".

FREEDOM FOR TIBET !

A wide range of initiatives is under way for the March 10 demonstration in Brussels (for more information ask to receive by fax the weekly bulletin "Freedom for Tibet").

- EUROPE. While four weeks are left to the demonstration, over 200 municipalities, including Brussels, from 21 European countries, pledged their commitment to fly the Tibetan flag from their respective townhalls.

- USA. A very significant adhesion to the campaign came from Massachusetts. Following a Radical Party initiative addressed to each state, Governor William Weld proclaimed March 10th as "Tibet day".

- UNITED NATIONS. The number of adhesions to the appeal to the United Nations Secretary General that he receive the Dalai Lama as soon as possible has reached 214.

- DEMONSTRATION IN BRUSSELS. Thanks to the activity of various European groups in support of the Tibetan cause, the first adhesions to participate in the demonstration have arrived.

- PARTIES/ORGANIZATIONS. A letter inviting hundreds of European organizations and political parties to join is currently being sent by Radical Party offices everywhere.

- WEI JINGSHENG CANDIDACY. The Radical Party has submitted 123 signatures to the Paris-based "Chinese House of Democracy" by parliamentarians and university professors in support of the Chinese dissident's candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize.

- SPAIN. In Thursday, February 8th's edition of the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo", two entire pages were dedicated to the Radical Party's initiative, "Freedom for Tibet," and the current situation in Tibet.

As always for Radical battles, personal support by any recipient of this bulletin and by those determined on the success of the initiative is always welcome and we invite you, once again, to: contact your mayor directly; encourage the participation of both political and institutional representatives; and to organize your presence in Brussels. Or even more simply, we invite you to immediately purchase a Tibetan flag and display it from your window as a concrete sign of solidarity.

UPCOMING EVENTS

- MOSCOW. February 11: public meeting of Moscow Radicals at the "Conference Hall for Soil Research".

- BRUSSELS. 8:00pm on February 27: organizational meeting regarding the March 10th Demonstration. European Parliament Bldg., the Eastmann Room, 132, rue Belliard, 1040 BRUSSELS

- contact the editor for more materials, forms, and information.