Ota Veverka (CS)
Czechoslovakian dissident, imprisoned several times for his activities against the Communist regime. He was released after the velvet revolution of November.
In order for me to become a member of an organization, the latter must be human and democratic, it must be contrary to the monopoly of power; it must be an association of creative and active people who are aware of the responsibilities, not only toward the association itself but toward the whole world. It must be an organization pursuing its goals with non-violence and reason, and capable of listening.
The transnational Radical Party fulfils all these requirements. There are still many things to be changed, which we must pursue, and for the achievement of which we must fight: not only in our country. We are not alone; all the things that occur around us, in Poland, in China, are a common problem. We need a common European home, but not only that: we need a global home. A home in which no one will have to endure injustice, hunger, violence, war. A home in which there will no longer be Czechoslovakian or French citizens, Russians or Americans, but simply citizens of the planet.
Thus, anyone who needs help will receive it from each person, who will feel as his brother. I am well aware of the fact that today this may seem a utopia. But it is necessary to assert these ideas, and try to organize them, even if it seems impossible to accomplish them. They must become a reality.
Anyone can try to accomplish human ideas; the transnational Radical Party is the first movement that has engaged in this attempt and is determined to continue. It is for this reason that I joined the party.
Willer Bordon (I)
Communist member of Parliament, member of the Radical Party
A natural, almost inevitable meeting
"The quest for the "new Radical Party" struck me as being very similar to that of the "new Communist Party" of Occhetto, and that it was therefore necessary to learn how to accept a confrontation without maintaining old borders but getting completely involved, running the risk of compromising oneself..."
Carmine Benincasa (I)
Art historian and university professor, belongs to Comunione e Liberazione
The charisma of prophecy
"The Radical Party has the charisma of prophecy, it identifies needs and questions before other parties. Comunione e Liberazione and the Radical Party share the same concern for individual needs, the impulse to fight against the laws that create evil, the awareness of the unease of XXth Century mankind. The Radicals are not on the side of power, but on the side of those who raise their arms. A Christian must go out to meet people like this, when there are such people, and work with them".
Christian Ovanisof (R)
Romanian citizen
A bridge between all parties
"I joined the Radical Party because I have the same ideas on a true, united Europe and on true democracy, and on the symbol of peace and freedom as represented by the person of Ghandi. By means of non-violence and dialogue, we will be able to conquer the best things. Another important thing for me is the transnational nature of the party, and a transnational party can become a bridge between all political parties".
PIERLUIGI CONCUTELLI AND MAGED EL MOLKY JOINED THE RADICAL PARTY. THE MEMBERS OF THE RADICAL PARTY DETAINED IN PRISON ARE ABOUT ONE HUNDRED. THERE ARE OVER TWENTY MEMBERS CONDEMNED FOR ACTS OF TERRORISM, AMONG WHOM ALBERTO FRANCESHINI, SERGIO SEGIO, NICOLA SOLIMANO, LUCA FRASSINETI, ROCCO MARTINO AND LIVIO LAI. FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE GOZZINI LAW AND FOR PARDON. "A SIGN OF HOPE WHICH COMES FROM LIFE SENTENCE. WE STRIVE TO OBTAIN THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR PRISONERS". STATEMENT OF SERGIO D'ELIA, FORMER MEMBER OF PRIMA LINEA, FEDERAL COUNCILLOR OF THE RADICAL PARTY.
Rome, 5 June. Pierluigi Concutelli, former military head of Ordine Nuovo, sentenced to life imprisonment for the assassination of Judge Occorsio, detained in the prison of Rebibbia, joined the Radical Party. Together with his membership request, yesterday the Radical Party received the adhesion request of Maged El Molky, Palestinian, condemned for having hijacked the "Achille Lauro", also detained in the prison of Rebibbia.
"The membership to the Radical Party - Sergio D'Elia, former member of Prima Linea, presently federal councillor of the Radical Party stated - and to the federalist and non-violent International, of Concutelli, Maged El Molky and of many others who have been accused or condemned for facts of political violence, is a signal of hope coming from life sentence, for the life of the Radical Party, but is also a warning to those who, in complete freedom and responsibility, prove that they cannot or do not want to ensure themselves, our epoch and our society, the good and the work of the Radical Party. If, in the next days, from the Italian prisons, from the prisoners and their relatives, there should arrive one thousand memberships applications, we would have an enormous power, we would (also) be a party of prisoners, and we could organize ourselves to assert the civil and political rights of the condemned persons, to obtain, for example, the right to vote for prisoners".
The membership campaign was launched by the prisoners of the penal institution of Rebibbia, where Marco Pannella held a meeting and during which fifty people joined the party. The Italian prisoners ask the Radical Party to defend the Gozzini law against the Gava and Vassalli law, which want to introduce the exclusion from the benefits provided by the law for persons condemned for mafia activity, terrorism, drugs and kidnapping. The prisoners also request the Party to fight to obtain pardon as a reparative act of the disparities caused by the introduction of the new Code of penal proceeding as regards those persons condemned according to the old Code. The members of the Radical Party in prison are over one hundred, among whom about twenty terrorists, including Alberto Franceschini, founder of the Red Brigades, Sergio Segio and Nicola Solimano, leaders of Prima Linea, Luca Frassineti of the COLP, Rocco Martino of Azione Rivoluzionaria and Livio Lai of the NAR.
