Former Yugoslavia

MORE THAN 150 PARLiAMENTARIANS SIGN AN APPEAL TO THE SERBS

Rome, 7 January 1992. In an appeal to the Serbs, more than 150 Italian Parliamentarians pledged among other things that the Italian government will not "recognise the Serbian republic until it gives the same guarantee that the Slovenian and Croatian republics have already given to the ethnic-minorities within their territories".

Italy

IV CONGRESS OF THE RADICAL PARTY

Rome, 9 January 1992. More than a thousand people, including more than 700 party members took part in the IV Italian Congress of the Radical Party in Rome. The theme of the congress was referendums. Alone or in collaboration with other political forces, the Radicals have had a considerable initial success with these referendums, and have collected enough signatures to allow them be held. There was a very wide-ranging debate on the subject of elections and who we should back, bearing in mind that we want to ensure the best possible defence of referendums in the next term of government. At the end of the congress we elected a committee of 15 people charged with exploring all the possible options relevant to making a final decision on this subject.

Former Yugoslavia

SEVEN 'DESERTERS' FROM THE SERBO-FEDERAL ARMY JOIN THE RADICAL PARTY. THE SEVEN HAD JOINED THE NATIONAL CROATION GUARD AT THE FRONT

Rome, 10 January 1992. News of the enrolment to the RP for 1992 of the seven 'deserters' from the Serbo-federal army was received with a long ovation at the fourth Italian Congress of the RP. Ivan Babic, member of the Croatian parliament, elected to Nova Gradiska in Slavonia and member of the RP, accepted their membership and the news was broadcast during the main programme of Radio Croatia's first channel.

To desert from a putschist army that like the entire Serbian population was oppressed by its generals and by the racism of President Milosevic, is a strong and determined affirmation of conscience, pacifism, nonviolence and democracy. It means encouragement, support and commitment to shared ideals, in the first place those of the Republic and the Croatian army, but also to those of pacifists and democrats throughout Europe. It is the yardstick for the choices of the RP which it wholly confirms.

European Comunity

ELECTION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: MARCO PANNELLA'S PRESS RELEASE

Strasbourg 14 January 1992. "Because of the sector that he represents, and because we have worked together for decades, I would naturally have voted for Barzanti. But a vote should be fully political and parliamentary.

For three years Egon Klepsch has been an honest official candidate. It is a political disgrace that groups to the Left and the lay democratic groups of the Centre failed to propose any alternative candidate, as they had the right to do.

Therefore I vote for Klepsch because he is the only candidate who is fully prepared for the task. He speaks for a group - the EPP (European People's Party) - which is the most European of the large groups. Because as far as their position on Eastern Europe and Former Yugoslavia is concerned, the German EPP is the closest to my own position".

Cuba

THE DEATH PENALTY: EDUARDO DIAZ BETANCOURT IS CONDEMNED TO DEATH. APPEAL TO FIDEL CASTRO FOR THE COMMUTATION OF THE SENTENCE. THE RP CANCELS A MEETING PLANNED AT THE CUBAN EMBASSY IN ROME AND HOLDS A DEMONSTRATION IN CONDEMNATION OF THE CUBAN REGIME.

Rome, 20 January 1992. Following an appeal dated 17 January, against the death sentences imposed on three exiled Cubans from Miami who were arrested at the end of December and accused of having plotted to overthrow the Cuban regime, Radicals, Marco Pannella, Sergio Stanzani, Emma Bonino, Paolo Vigevano and Sergio D'Elia sent out another letter to Fidel Castro in which they appealed for clemency in sentencing Eduardo Diaz Betancourt. The State Council convened by Castro confirmed in the last instance, that Betancourt should be sentenced to death, but commutated the sentence against the other two.

Following the execution of Betancourt, the RP and the Committee for Human Rights in Cuba organized a demonstration condemning Castro's regime, in front of the Cuban Embassy in Rome. About a hundred people took part in the demonstration, including various parlamentarians, important Italian figures and exiled Cubans. The demonstrators raised a banner declaring "Free Cuba", and placards with slogans against the death penalty and for human rights and democracy in Cuba.

China

LI PENG INVITED TO ROME BY PRIME MINISTER ANDREOTTI. RADICAL PARTY TAKES ACTION.

Rome, 25 January 1992. On the initiative of the RP and the Italy-Tibet association, Li Peng's visit to Italy was marked by a series of demonstrations. There was a torchlight procession through the streets of Rome in which more than 400 people took part including a number of Tibetans in exile. An appeal was signed by about a hundred cultural and political figures, there was a lively protest the part of the European member of parliament Marco Pannella on the occasion of Li Peng's reception by the Italian Parliament, and a public debate in which the Radical Giovanni Negri, the president of the parliamentary intergroup on Tibet, Zhao Yuesheng, an exile living in Paris, Sung Limin, the Italian representative of the Federation for Democracy, Michael Van Walt Van Praag, international lawyer and author of "The Status of Tibet" among other works, Gyaltsen Gyaltag, official European representative of the Dalai Lama, Robbie Barnett, who runs the TIN (Tibet International Network), and Piero Verni, president of the Italy

-Tibet Association all participated.

The Former Soviet Union

CONFERENCE OF THE RADICALS OF THE FORMER SOVIET UNION

Moscow, 25 January 1992. More than 250 people took part in the RP conference. During this conference 137 people joined the RP for 1992. Members from all 15 republics of the former Soviet Union were present and 22 nationalities were represented, including 18 members from Central Asia, from Eastern Siberia to the Bering Straits and the Kamciatka Gulf opposite Japan. The contents of the conference were reported by various newspapers and by the first television channel which covers the entire area of the former Soviet Union.

Komsomolskaja Pravda also interviewed the President of the RP Emma Bonino and Federal Councillor Marino Busdachin.

At the end of the conference the Radicals approved a document in which they requestedall international organizations to strive to introduce peace in the countries that are fighting nationalistic battles. In this document the Radicals also stressed the importance of launching a campaign for humanitarian aid that is monetary, technological, informative and instructional in this period of transition to a market economy, in order to ensurethe peaceful transition to a democratic society. They also declare their intent to reach the quota of 1000 members from countries of the former Soviet Union for the 1st May 1992.

United States of America

THE DEATH PENALTY: LETTER OF PROTEST FROM THE RP TO PETER SECCHIA, AMBASSADOR TO ROME, CONCERNING THE EXECUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF TWO PEOPLE SENTENCED FOR COMMON-LAW OFFENCES.

Rome 25 January 1992. Following the recent execution of Joe Angel Cordova in Texas and Mark Hopkinson in Wyoming, the Radicals Sergio Stanzani, Emma Bonino, Paolo Vigevano, Marco Pannella and Sergio D'Elia have sent a letter condemning the executions to Peter Secchia, American Ambassador to Rome.

The letter was also sent in the name of the Organizing Committee for the parliamentary campaign for the abolition of the death penalty throughout the world, and was supported by a further six hundred parlamentarians and government officials as well as hundreds of cultural, scientific and artistic figures from all over the world.

Italy

GENERALELECTIONS: POLITICAL AGREEMENTS, AND NOT JUST ELECTORAL: OTHERWISE WE MAY AS WELL GO TO VOTE WITH "PERSONAL" LISTS AS THEY DO IN AMERICA. STATEMENT BY MARCO PANNELLA

"(...) I confirm that political agreements can and must be applied to the lists for the Chamber, as well as thosefor the Senate. And this political reminder is also directed at the Leagues (autonomist movements present particularly in Northern Italy, editor's note), after the total withdrawal declared by Mariotto Segni for Corel (Organizing Committee for referendums for the reform of the electoral system, editor's note), who believes he can resolve problems by expelling all those who are not in accord with his protective interests.

Otherwise we might as well go to the vote each backed by our own personal history. Or perhaps even with "personal" lists as in America, as if there were just one national assembly or we were taking part in a presidential election."

Italy

GENERAL COUNCIL OF CoRA. THE ANTIPROHIBITIONISTS DENOUNCE THE PROGRESSIVE DESTRUCTION OF THE INSTITUTIONAL LAWS. THEY DECLARE THE PRESENTATION OF A SINGLE ANTIPROHIBITIONIST PARTY TO BE INADEQUATE AND THE ORGANIZATION OF A NEW ELECTORAL FORCE TO BE INDISPENSABLE.

Rome, 31 January 1992. The antiprohibitionists stress the fact that "partycracy" and the system of proportional representation have become united, more than they were in the past, "in preventing the elections from being carried out democratically and in establishing an electoral campaign in which the voter's fundamental right to be correctly informed is denied".

With the massive success of the campaign in collecting signatures the General Council of CoRA has declared the necessity of giving immediate support to the defence of referendums, and has decided to initiate a large political campaign in order to communicate the proposals and ideals of the antiprohibitionists. CoRA holds that the support and contributions of the RP are indispensable for the success of the antiprohibitionist undertaking, and it lays claim to its own identity as a federate association.

The document of the General Council of CoRA goes on to evalutate the overall situation throughout the nation, and looks increasingly towards non-democratic and dictatorial solutions. It demands an increased and a more vigorous antiprohibitionist presence in Parliament. However, the antiprohibitionists do not believe that the presentation of a small new party is sufficient, but consider it necessary to organise a new electoral force "which, beginning with the renouncement of practical certainties for everyone, knows how to represent the hopes for change and democracy of environmentalists, democrats, federalists and laypeople, giving priority to the antiprohibitionists".

The document ends with the decision to support the member candidates and those belonging to CoRA who are included on the various electoral lists.

Czechoslavakia

RADICAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE OPENING OF THE CSCE

Prague, 31 January 1992. On the occasion of the opening, in Prague, of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe which brought together European Foreign ministers, the Radicals held a demonstration for the "UNITED STATES OF EUROPE, NOW!". During the demonstration, which was held in front of the Palace of Culture, the Radicals unfurled an enormous banner (5 metres by 5) decorated with the symbol of the RP, and raised 15 placards with the slogan "UNITED STATES OF EUROPE, NOW!" written in 15 languages.

Burkina Faso

THE RADICAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE RULE OF LAW IN AFRICA (AREDA) WAS INVITED TO THE NATIONAL FORUM OF NATIONAL RECONCILIATION

Ouagadougou, 5 February 1992. The Burkinabe Radicals of the Radical Association for the Rule of Law in Africa (AREDA) have been invited to take part in the next "Forum for National Reconciliation". This assembly will bring together all the political parties (of government and opposition), the religious communities (Catholic, Muslim and traditional), the unions, the associations and society in general. It will need amongst other things to review the electoral laws, to establish the laws that ensure the transition towards general elections which is the last stage, after the constitutional referendum of the 2 June 1991 and the presidential elections of the 1 December 1991, in establishing the Rule of Law in the institutions of Burkina.