Soviet Union

CONGRESS OF THE LIBERAL-DEMOCRAT PARTY

Moscow, 1 April '90. Irina Podlessova, treasurer of the Radical association "Freedom and Peace", took part in the first congress of the Liberal-Democrat Party. After an intervention in which she stressed the equivalence of opinions between Radicals and Liberal Democrats on themes such as the United States of Europe or the guarantee of rights, her proposal of increased cooperation between the two parties was warmly welcomed by the assembly.

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Soviet Union

DEMONSTRATION FOR THE INDEPENDENCE OF LITHUANIA

Moscow, 1 April '90. In response to the appeal of the Popular Front of Russia, of the Tribune of Moscow, of the Democratic Union, of the Radical Association "Freedom and Peace" and of other independent groups, about one thousand people demonstrated in the streets of Moscow.

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Soviet Union

SECOND DEMONSTRATION FOR AN INDEPENDENT LITHUANIA

Moscow, 2 April '90. Over 2,000 people took part in a second demonstration for the independence of Lithuania in front of the Luzhniki stadium. In addition to the organizer Urazhcev, member of the Moscow Soviet, elected in the "Democratic Russia" lists, Alexander Ogorodnikov, leader of the Christian-Democrat Union, Lev Ubozhko, leader of the Democrat Party and Nikolaj Khramov, one of the leaders of the Radical Association "Freedom and Peace" also took part in the demonstration.

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Czechoslovakia

CZECHOSLOVAKIA: DEATH PENALTY ABOLISHED! A GREAT DEMOCRATIC AND CIVIL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE CZECHOSLOVAKIAN RADICALS.

Prague, 3 May 1990 - The death penalty has been abolished in Czechoslovakia: the Federal Assembly (Parliament) decided it yesterday evening, a Parliament which, until the elections to be held on the coming 8th of June, is mainly made up of communists.

"We claim for us Czechoslovakian Radicals the achievement of this gift which once again this country has managed to give the whole world.

We claim for the whole of the Radical Party, for the 600 Radicals who, together with John Bok and the others opened this civil battle in January by fasting, and enabled this great, true achievement of democracy."

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Belgium

A JOBLESS KING

Brussels, 5 April '90. In reaction to the decision of King Baldwin of Belgium not to sign the new law on abortion, Olivier Dupuis, Alexandre de Perlinghi and Jean-Luc Robert delivered the press the following declaration: "It is not up to the transnational and transpartisan Radical Party to give an opinion on the events in Belgium. In spite of this, we believe that if the King had abdicated, we would have acknowledged the lack of a political motivation and the individual and conscientious nobility of the gesture. Unfortunately we are unable to do this. We detect a sort of moralist and immoral cunning, because, given that the King chooses not to consider the law of the State and the functions of the oath as the supreme morality, he cannot but enact a base farce, betraying as such the oath, without this implying, thanks to the cunning of an unworthy politicians, any damage whatsoever.

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Soviet Union

THE RADICAL ASSOCIATION AND THE DEMOCRATIC UNION DEMONSTRATE ON THE OCCASION OF THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE TBILISSI EVENTS.

Kouibichev, 7 April '90. About one hundred people took part in the demonstration during which Radical Andrei Tcheckov was given a 10 ruble fine by the police for having distributed the newspaper of the Social-Democrats "Novaja jizn" ("New Life").

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Great Britain

DRUGS: ANTIPROHIBITIONIST CONFERENCE IN OCCASION OF THE PROHIBITIONIST SUMMIT ORGANIZED BY MARGARET THATCHER

London, 9 April, 1990. Marco Taradash, member of the European Parliament, elected in an antiprohibitionist ticket, Marie-Andrée Bertrand, President of the International Antiprohibitionist League, Antony Henman, publisher of the antiprohibitionist newspaper "Antiprohibitionism", and other antiprohibitionist representatives held a conference parallel to the summit organized by Margaret Thatcher to discuss "the reduction of the demand of drugs and the battle against the threat represented by cocaine". The antiprohibitionists have instead underlined the ineffectiveness of prohibitionist policies and their negative effects on economic, juridical and social systems.

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Italy

REFERENDUM FOR THE REFORM OF THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

Rome, 10 April. The Radicals who, together with other associations, are part of the committee organizing the referendum for the electoral reform, started collecting signatures in Piazza del Pantheon. Sergio D'Elia and Antonio Lalli will coordinate the collection of signatures all over Italy, whereas Gaoussou Ouattara, an Ivory Coast citizen, will coordinate the collection in Rome.

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Yugoslavia-Kossovo

THE ARREST OF HALILA MATOSHIJA AND OF BLERIMA SHALE IN KOSSOVO

Zagreb, 9 April, 1990. Sandro Ottoni and Alexandre de Perlinghi, members of the Federal Council of the Radical Party, demonstrated their very firm disapproval of the arrest of Halila Matoshija, President of the Student's Forum of the University of Pristina, and of Blerina Shale, who were investigating the recent poisoning cases of children and adults in Kossovo.

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Soviet Union

AN APPEAL IN FAVOUR OF OLEG GORSHENIN, CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR, MEMBER OF THE RADICAL PARTY

Moscow, 11 April 90. Already sentenced to one and a half years of imprisonment, Oleg Gorshenin has been arrested by the police and taken to police district n.8 of Moscow where he awaits the verdict of the tribunal. The Radicals in Moscow have expressed in a public declaration the much repeated willingness of Oleg Gorshenin to carry out an alternative civil service. Moreover, they stressed the fact that the USSR in 1989 signed the 1989/59 resolution of the UN requiring the adhering countries not to force conscientious objectors to carry out a military service, and to offer them the possibility of an alternative service. The appeal for Oleg Gorshenin has already been signed by many members of the Supreme Soviet and by the Russian Soviet, as well as by the General Secretary of the Radical Party and by the President of the Radical Party and several Soviet and non Soviet citizens.

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RADICAL PRESENCE IN THE ABRUZZI REGION

L'Aquila, 11 April 90. Marco Pannella, President of the Federal Council of the Radical Party, will be the first candidate of three tickets in the coming regional regional and municipal elections. A civic, green and lay ticket for the municipality of Teramo, chief town of the Abruzzi region, and an antiprohibitionist, lay, civic and green ticket for the Abruzzi region.

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DEMONSTRATION OF PROTEST AGAINST THE ARREST OF JOURNALISTS IN KOSSOVO AND FOR THE RESPECT OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Zagreb, 11 April 90. Some twenty Radicals reacted to the unjustified arrest of two young Albanian citizens in Kossovo, organizing a demonstration in Republic Square. The Radical demonstrators wore anti-gas masks and banners reading: "No to political trials", "democratic elections in Kossovo and in the whole of Yugoslavia", "freedom for political prisoners in Kossovo". The Croatian medias reported the news and showed pictures of the demonstration.

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POISONING CASES IN KOSSOVO: SEVERAL PHYSICIANS AND JOURNALISTS TOOK PART IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE ORGANIZED BY THE RADICAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE UNITED STATES OF EUROPE.

Zagreb, 14 April '90. Toxicologist Slobodan Lang, physicians Salih Krasniq, Taliat Gjinolli and Besnik Bardhi, and journalists Goiko Marnkovic and Ines Sabalic gave direct testimony as regards the recent events in Kossovo. They confirmed the presence of a police control in front of the hospitals of Pristina and the affluence of hundreds of people bearing symptoms of poisoning. They also excluded the possibility of scientifically proving the entity and the conditions of the poisonings. The member of the federal Council, Alexandre de Perlinghi, in the course of the Conference communicated the findings of a report delivered by a commission of physicians and jurists who had gone to Kossovo after the events, which clearly excludes the thesis of a simulation of mass poisoning, whereas it denounces the constant violations of human rights and of international agreements in Kossovo.

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Yugoslavia-croatia

PRESS CONFERENCE: RADICALS DENOUNCE THE UNFAIR BEHAVIOUR OF THE MASS-MEDIAS

Zagreb, 17 April 90. In the course of a press conference Croatian Radicals denounced and supported with documentary evidence the unfair behaviour of mass-medias generally, and of TV specifically. Among other things, the state TV network did not respect the commitment to ensure each political force the availability of a TV squad for 5 TV specials.

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THE CLOSING DOWN OF RADIO RADICALE

Over half of the members of the Italian Parliament subscribed the draft bill to grant a financial contribution to Radio Radicale, in consideration of the public service it carries out.

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POLITICAL VARIETY

Prague, 18 April '90. Radicals John Bok, Richard Stockar and Paolo Pietrosanti took part in a programme of "political variety" on the second Czechoslovakian Tv channel.

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Yugoslavia-Croatia

PRESENTATION OF THE CANDIDATES FOR THE CONTEMPORARY ARTS MUSEUM

Zagreb, 19 April '90. At the presence of several journalists, the Radical candidates of the Evropska Zelena Lista coalition (Europeanist and green ticket), Cesmadziski, Rosko, rexhepi, Sertic, Niketic and Predegan expressed the reasons for their candidature.

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Yugoslavia-Croatia

150 PEOPLE TAKE PART IN THE CONCLUSIVE DINNER PARTY OF THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN OF THE EUROPEAN AND GREEN TICKET.

Zagreb, 19 April '90. With a clear transpartisan attitude, the main leaders of the various political and electoral forces took part in a dinner-party organized by Radical candidates. A conspicuous absence, in spite of the invitation, was that of the Croatian TV.

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Italy

PROHIBITIONISTS PUBLICLY SMOKE A JOINT

Palermo, 19 April '90. Paolo Buzzanca, head of the Antiprohibitionist List for the municipality of Palermo, commented his gesture with the following words: "I smoked a joint publicly, and I would like to point out that in my private life I normally do not even smoke tobacco. It is a much needed act of civil disobedience, to prevent three million Italian citizens from being absurdly criminalized by a hypocritical law, which openly ignores the tragedy of alcohol addiction in a country where 20 thousand people die of alcohol and not even one person dies of cannabis".

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RADICAL CANDIDATES AT THE LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS OF JUNE 6.

Prague, 20 April, '90.

For the federal parliament:

- John Bok, number 1 of the List of independents presented by the HOS (Civil rights movement), constituency of Prague

- Pavel Timco, number 6 on the HOS list, const. of Prague

- Richard Stockar, number 7 of the HOS list, const. of Prague

- Jaromir Soukup, number 4 of the HOS list, const. of Central Bohemia (Stredocesky kray)

- Pavel Vesely, number 2 of the HOS list, const. of South Bohemia (Jihocesky kray)

- Zdenek Zaoral, number 4 of the HOS list, const. of Southern Bohemia (Jihocesky kray)

- Marcel Pok, number 1 of the list of the Republican Union, const. of Northern Bohemia (Severocesky kray)

- Radek Novacek, candidate of the list of the Civic Forum

For the Parliament of Nations:

- Ota Veverka, number 1 of the HOS list, const. of Prague

- Ivan Jirous, number 1 of the HOS list, const. of Northern Bohemia (Jihocesky kray)

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Yugoslavia-Croatia

VERY INCISIVE NOTE OF PROTEST AND TELEPHONE BOYCOTT OF THE TV ON THE PART OF CROATIAN RADICALS TO PROTEST AGAINST THE NEW VIOLATION OF THE ELECTORAL AGREEMENTS CONCERNING INFORMATION SPACE.

Zagreb, 20 April '90. For five subsequent times the Croatian Tv refused to attend demonstrations or conferences organized by the European green ticket, in spite of the electoral agreements. As a protest, several Croatian Radicals intervened during a direct programme with Tv audience, denouncing the unworthy behaviour of the Croatian Tv.

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Hungary

RADICAL ASSEMBLY

Budapest, 24 April, '90. At the end of the Assembly attended by about twenty Radicals, it was decided to charge Remo Csok with the task of coordinating new initiatives for the resumption of the subscription campaign for the Radical Party in Hungary.

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Yugoslavia-Croatia

RESULTS (PARTIAL, UNFORTUNATELY) OF THE RADICAL CANDIDATES

Zagreb, 25 April '90.

Results at the Parliament of the Republic (58,82% of scrutinized votes):

- Vito Cesmadziski, 38 years of age, graphic artist, European Green list, constituency of Trevnjeska in Zagreb, 1496 votes, 3,48%

- Diana Rexhepi, 35 years of age, journalist, European Green list, constituency of Central Zagreb, 1012 votes, 3,08%

- Zeljko Rosko, 27 years of age, journalist, European Green list, const. of Novi Zagreb, 688 votes, 3,45%

- Gojko Marinkovic, 39 years of age, journalist, double communist membership, European Green list, const. of Zara, data as yet unknown

- Zoran Ostric, 35 years of age, journalist, member of Green Action, European and green list, constituency of Pescenica in Zagreb, 1567 votes, 4,84%

Results of the Council of the City of Zagreb:

- Lidia Sertic, 37 years of age, legal consultant, candidate for the Office of Work, 402 votes, 38%

- Igor Bui, 28 years of age, electronic engineer, European Green list, 5,8%

- Goran Predagan, 24 years of age, worker, European Green list, 4,72 %

- Zoran Niketic, 21 years of age, student, European Green list, 6,90%

- Dragan Cuca, 32 years of age, official, Socialist Party, results as yet not available

- Suzana Jec, 30 years of age, politologist, Independent, results as yet not available

Results of the Council of the City of Sibenik:

- Zeljko Scotti, 31 years of age, radio director, European Green list, 20%

- Nenad Zanko, 32 years of age, computer operator, European Green list, 20%

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Soviet Union

OVER 250 PEOPLE AT THE CONFERENCE-DEBATE ORGANIZED BY THE RADICAL PARTY ON THE THEME:FAILURE OF PROHIBITION AND PROPOSALS OF THE ANTIPROHIBITIONISTS.

Moscow, 25 April. Arnold Trebach, President of the Drugs Policy Foundation of Washington, Lorenzo Strick Lievers, senator of the Italian Parliament, Galina Starovoiteva, member of the Supreme Soviet, Nikolaj Khramov of the executive board of the Radical Association "Freedom and Peace" in Moscow, and Marino Busdachin of the federal Council of the radical Party expressed, in the course of a conference-debate, the reasons of the total failure of the war against drugs in curbing the diffusion of drugs, in destroying the mafia multinationals and the merchants of death of free trade, and the necessity to extend the initiative of the transnational party on the antiprohibitionist front. The speakers thanked for the help they received in organizing the conference of the Interregional Group and especially Iurij Afanasiev. At the end of the debate 28 people joined the Radical Party.

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Czechoslovakia

FIRST ASSEMBLY OF MORAVIAN RADICALS

Brno, 30 April '90. The first assembly of the Radical Party was held in Brno, capital of Moravia. Further information will be provided in the next issue of the Radical Letter.

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Italy

REGIONAL ELECTIONS

In the regional elections which were held in Italy from the 6th to the 7th of May 1990, the "antiprohibitionist" tickets, promoted by Radical members, obtained 6 elected candidates, the "Green-Arcobaleno" tickets, these too promoted by the Radicals, obtained 8 successful candidates. In the two lists of "democratic alternative", a combined Radical-Communist initiative, Emma Bonino was elected in Bra, and Marco Pannella in L'Aquila.

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Italy

REFERENDUM ON THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM

A campaign was started on the 10th of April for the collection of signatures for a referendum aimed at transforming the Italian electoral system from a proportional system to a majority system, upon initiative of various political representatives among which the Radicals. On the 23rd of May 60,000 adhesions had been recorded, out of the 500,000 which are necessary to summon the referendum.