(WORLDWIDE PARLIAMENTARY CAMPAIGN FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE DEATH PENALTY BY THE YEAR 200 - Radical party/International League for the abolition of the death penalty by the year 2000)

HOW INTERNATIONAL LAW PROVIDES FOR THE DEATH PENALTY

The death penalty is still provided for in the judicial systems of 132 out of 181 States belonging to the international community (to punish ordinary crimes in 116 States and special crimes in 16); and it is still applied in 96 countries, including some democracies

Luciano Fabris, presenter of the motion:

The idea of the various Councils giving their support to the International League was put forward by myself and Maurizio Parise of the Schio Town Council. I personally took part in the proceedings of the various commissions and I chose the one dealing with human rights and the death penalty, because we wanted our citizens to become active in this area by following the lead given by the institutions. We decided to present a motion to the various Councils, in order to obtain their consensus, so that they might encourage citizens to support this important abolitionist project.

Antonio Comunello: The campaign to abolish the death penalty is a Radical Party initiative, the same Party that, paradoxically, was responsible for Law no. 194 which legalized abortion in Italy. Besides, the "death sentence" still exists in our country and is carried out by the Mafia, the Camorra and various terrorist organizations... I say that if a person kills somebody, that person deserves to die. Nonviolence favours the most powerful and the strongest.

Francesco Fantinato: The Christian Democrat councillors, of whom I am one, signed this appeal as individuals. And it could not be any other way because this is an issue concerning profound ethical values, which everyone must decide according to their own conscience.

Gianluigi Compostella: I consider the motion to be very important and I would like to thank the Councillor who put it forward. In doing so, he has confronted us with an ethical and moral question which is not ideological but concerns the future of the entire world.

Ruggero Bizzotto: This particular issue causes me great concern. I find it terribly unjust that a murderer who believes he has the right to dispose of other people's lives should not risk losing his own life. The most horrible crimes are committed every day and the legal system should protect all citizens. This is why I am voting against the motion.

Paolo Nosadini: Voting for the death penalty, even if only on a referendum, could simply be an expression of anger; and it is distressing that one should come to this, above all if one happens to be a Catholic who believes that only God has the right to give life and to take it away. The death penalty has become a cliché, a political issue, an extremely sad reality. No one ever discusses prevention. All one is asked to do is to vote for or against the death penalty. I shall vote against the motion because the fundamental concepts have yet to be worked out.

M. Teresa Cerantola: I can understand how an individual, a parent whose child is kidnapped let's say, might want to eliminate the kidnapper; but I find a desire to institute the death penalty extremely disturbing. A democratic State cannot possibly think that it can improve society by killing individuals: there is every evidence that this is not true.

Giampaolo Calgaro: I challenge anyone to prove that the death penalty acts as a deterrent. I would also like to ask those present if they honestly believe human justice to be completely infallible? The death penalty excludes the possibility of righting a mistake: it is a form of vendetta which does not allow for a change of mind.

M. Alessandra Bellotti: According to my education, I do not believe that the State has the right to take the life of one of its citizens. I consider the United States behaviour regarding the death penalty to be totally uncivilized and I could never condone it, not even if all those executed were guilty. So you can imagine how I feel when, as is often the case, an innocent person is put to death.

Giamberto Petoello: The motion makes no reference to the action of military courts during wartime. A democracy is always threatened by war and any military action risks provoking one, even if it is an act of self- defence For this reason, and considering how the death penalty is abused and exercised for the most vile motives and in the most horrendous way, I am voting in favour of the motion.

Second Optional Protocol to the International Convention

on Civil and Political Rights

On 15 December 1989, the U.N. General Assembly approved, with Resolution 44/128, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights which aims at abolishing the death penalty. The Protocol states: "1. No one who comes under the jurisdiction of a country which has adhered to the present Protocol will be put to death. 2. Each country that adheres to the Protocol shall adopt the necessary measures to abolish any laws providing for the death penalty".

The Second Protocol came into force in 1991. So far, it has been signed by 20 countries and ratified by seventeen.

The Resolution

The Town Council of Bassano del Grappa:

· having considered the invitation to join the Promoting Committee of the World Parliamentary Campaign for the Abolition of the Death Penalty by 2000 with a financial contribution of at least one million Italian lire;

· having acertained that the above initiative is in accordance with the provisions and with the spirit of the Statute of the Town Council;

· having deemed the matter to lie within its competence, as provided for in Article 32 of Law no. 142, 8 June 1990;

· having seen that the motion was unanimously approved by the Regional Council of the Veneto (no. 4663, 18 May 1993);

· being aware of the ethical and political importance of striving to abolish the death penalty wherever it is provided for and applied;

Resolves to engage the Town Council:

· to become a member and promoter of the "International League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty by 2000";

· to allot one million lire of the Town Council's annual budget for the membership fee;

· to enter the sum of one million lire under the heading I - Sect. IX - as Item 12780 of the balance sheet;

· to launch a campaign to make citizens, and schoolchildren in particular, more aware of the need to protect human and civil rights, and abolish the death penalty throughout the world; and to collaborate with national and international human rights organizations;

· to sign the appeal addressed to the U.N. and to the Italian Government;

· to apply to the "International League for the Abolition of the Death Penalty by 2000" for membership;

· to send the present motion to the League's Promoting Committe, the Italian Prime Minister, the President of the European Parliament and the U.N. Secretary General.