RADICAL PARTY MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN 2001: LETTER OF THE SECRETARY AND THE TREASURER

Rome, December 2000

Dear friend,

It was over 10 years ago now, during the party Congresses in Bologna (1988) and Budapest (1989) that the outlines of the project were sketched. Since then we have pushed ahead, with our "usual" empirical method. Continuing, often alone, the campaigns which we drew up at the time: for the establishment of the International Tribunal on crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia and of the International Criminal Court, for the universal abolition of the death penalty, for an end to prohibitionist policies on drugs (and not only on drugs), for the freedom of Tibet, and for democracy in China. There have been successes and failures, and at times also important "theoretical" developments, such as the definition and denouncement of prohibitionist policies on drugs as a true crime against humanity.

Once again this year the project has not had the backing of the Congress of party members, as laid down by the statute. For we have not arranged a meeting of the Congress. In the current situation, it would have been nothing more than a formal act of compliance with the statute, not an initiative to strengthen the party. In the last year, as in previous years, most of us have been involved on the Italian front, for equally "Radical" objectives. But we have also managed during the year to fight back and at times to achieve remarkable, unhoped-for successes on the international front: above all in the UN in New York, where we succeeded in obtaining the support of some of the major democracies (France, the United States and Germany, in particular) in our struggle against the Russian request for the expulsion of the TRP from the UN, a request based on the slanderous charges which you will all certainly be aware of: nothing less than "support for international terrorism, drug trafficking and paedophilia". For thi

s success our thanks are due in particular to Marco Pannella and Emma Bonino, and to the team led by Marco Perduca which stood up for five months, day by day, to this shameful attack on the freedom of opinion and expression and on the principle of the fair trial.

Russia's desire to expel the TRP from the UN stretches back many years; this year it simply found an inviting pretext: the fact that we allowed Akhiad Idigov, the President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Chechen Parliament, to denounce the serious violations of fundamental rights in Chechnya before the Human Rights Commission in Geneva. From the beginning of the 1990s (even before Andrea Tamburi was murdered in Moscow) the Radicals have fought in Moscow, despite pressure and intimidation of various kinds, for the recognition of conscientious objection, for the abolition of the death penalty, for the legalisation of drugs, and against the war in Chechnya. The Russian charge also came at a time when Emma Bonino was a candidate for the position of UN High Commissioner for Refugees, and when Antonio Russo was continuing to gather evidence of crimes committed in Chechnya. We have no doubt that since our "interference" in the "domestic" affairs of Russia will not come to an end, then nor will the actions

of the Moscow authorities against the Radical Party. The attacks, charges and lies will continue.

On other fronts, such as the ratification of the statute of the International Criminal Court, some progress has been made, mainly due to the efforts of No Peace Without Justice, although the target of ratification by 60 countries remains a long way off (so far only 23 countries have ratified the statute). On the death penalty front, Hands Off Cain is preparing a new campaign to get a resolution establishing a moratorium on executions adopted by the UN General Assembly. On Tibet, we have organised a seminar in Brussels, to be held in mid-December, in order to discuss how best to launch a Europe-wide campaign for "a statute of full autonomy for Tibet within three years, or else international recognition of the Tibetan government in exile", in keeping with the Resolution adopted by the European Parliament in July. Together with Wei Jingsheng we will try to work out how to go beyond the ruinous European policy towards China of "critical dialogue on human rights": how, in other words, to develop a policy based on

the introduction of the Rule of Law and democracy throughout Asia, creating a distinction in the economic, diplomatic and commercial policies of the EU between countries such as India, which are following this path with stubborn determination, and countries like China, which pursue the path of modernisation without justice and freedom, of the reconversion (or conversion) of Communist totalitarianism in a nationalist, police-state, and technocratic direction.

Other "battle fronts" are developing. The campaign launched by Maurizio Turco and Emma Bonino against female genital mutilation has already given rise to an important event in Brussels, the international conference entitled "Stop Female Genital Mutilation", which was attended by numerous African and European figures. The next appointment is on 8 March 2001, with the organisation of an "international day against female genital mutilation". On Chechnya, the Italian people were able thanks to the Conference organised in late November in Rome by Emma Bonino, and thanks to Radio Radicale, to hear new testimonies, detailed and direct, on what has happened and is continuing to happen every day in Chechnya. On the European federalism front, we have finally initiated a debate - and a first attempt at widespread involvement through "on-line" elections - for the election by means of a people's vote of the President of the European Commission; for a "federalist" critique of the current political and institutional model

of the European Union; and for the defence of the role of the executive Commission, increasingly marginalised and hostage to "inter-governmental" methods and decisions.

This year several of our fellow Radicals have left us. Adelaide Aglietta in June, Mario Tarantino in August and Antonio Russo a few weeks ago. Three very different people, but united in the passion and the integrity with which they fought for our ideas and our projects, the unique and original force of the Radical tradition.

In 2001 we will have to draw on their strength, the strength they always demonstrated and transmitted to others. For strength, intelligence and commitment are exactly what we need as we try to develop a strategic path that will allow both a return to the normality of our statute and a new launch for the project of the Transnational Radical Party, beginning with the exciting experiment currently in progress for the "on-line" election of new members of the italian radical Co-ordinating Committee.

This is all we have to report at the moment. In the hope that you will decide to keep faith with us by enrolling in the 2001 Transnational Radical Party.

Best wishes for 2001.

Olivier Dupuis Danilo Quinto

Secretary Treasurer

Radical Party membership fees

Methods of payment:

credit card: call 00-39-06/68.26

bank TRANSFER: Deutsche Bank - Agenzia B Roma - Account no. 130615 - C.A.B. 03202 - A.B.I. 3104

NON-NEGOTIABLE CHEQUE ( Bank cheque, Banker's draft or Postal cheque):

made out to Partito Radicale Via di Torre Argentina 76 - 00186 Roma

Transnational Radical Party

Rue Wiertz 60 - 1049 Brussels

Tel. +32-2-230.41.21 - Fax. +32-2-284.9198.

United Nations Plaza - New York

Tel. +1-212-98.01.031 - Fax. +1-212-

Via di Torre Argentina, 76 - Rome

Tel. +39-06-68.26 - Fax +39-06-68.80.53.96

website : www.radicalparty.org

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