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IR+R NEWS - news about democratic reform, citizens' initiative,
referendum, recall of elected officials. A service of
Citizens' Initiative and Referendum I&R ~ GB
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IN THIS NEWSLETTER THERE ARE THREE ITEMS ::::::::::::::::::::
§ FOUND VIA COMPASS, A WELL-KNOWN UK-BASED THINK TANK.
"more direct democracy "would create huge
progressive coalitions for civic, democratic, environmental, and
societal change ...""
§ CITIZENS' REFERENDUM TO REMOVE SILVIO BERLUSCONI'S IMMUNITY FROM
PROSECUTION
§ POWERFUL ALLIANCES FOR CHANGE THROUGH DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Many well-established civic and pro-environment
group-alliances have endorsed the aims of "More
Democracy"
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FOUND VIA COMPASS, A WELL-KNOWN UK-BASED THINK TANK.
Despite some typographical errors a spirited appeal for more, direct,
citizen-powered democracy.
See:
Right to a Citizens Initiative and Referenda
“A
law that allows people to directly determine, via referenda, important
decisions of governance at a local and national level. ”
http://www.howtoliveinthe21stcentury.org.uk/submissions/right-to-a-citizens-initiative-and-referenda
by Samuel Tarrow of UnlockDemocracy (Fusion of Charter88 + New Politics
Network)
COMMENT BY I&R ~ GB
Good proposal, an idea whose time is overdue!
Starting up a reform campaign looks like a daunting task but we can be
encouraged by potential support from "ordinary" people. Surveys done in
the mid-1990s by MORI showed that more than seven out of ten approved
the principle that a large number of citizens' should be able to demand
a referendum. More recently a study of people "estranged" from
politicians and parties -- determined voting abstainers -- expressed
strong desire to make use of initiative and referendum procedures.
Samuel's prediction that more direct democracy "would create huge
progressive coalitions for civic, democratic, environmental, and
societal change that were empowered to make the change they campaign
for" is a powerful call for a concerted reform effort. It won't suffice
to convince a few MPs, although that would help. We need a campaign to
inform and educate people, young and older, about I and R etc., so that
citizens and groups become active across the countries!
I&R ~ GB
Campaign for direct democracy in Britain
http://www.iniref.org/
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CITIZENS' REFERENDUM TO REMOVE SILVIO BERLUSCONI'S IMMUNITY FROM
PROSECUTION
A law giving Silvio Berlusconi immunity from prosecution as Italy's
prime minister could be repealed after a petition of one million
signatures was collected by the opposition.
Mr Berlusconi has been dogged by court cases for most of his political
career but on coming to power for a third time last year he forced
through the controversial law, which guarantees immunity to Italy's
four most senior office holders, including the prime minister and
president.
. . .
The petition was presented to Italy's highest court by the country's
second biggest opposition party, Italy of Values, led by the former
crusading anti-corruption magistrate Antonio Di Pietro.
It contains twice as many signatures as are needed under Italian law to
force a referendum on the issue.
"The law is unconstitutional because it introduces a double standard
establishing that the four highest state officials can't be tried even
if they kill their mothers," Mr Di Pietro said as he arrived at the
court in a van carrying boxes of signatures.
Italy's constitutional court must check the validity of the names
before the referendum can be called, a process likely to take a few
months.
More:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/4162266/Silvio-Berlusconi-could-lose-immunity-from-prosecution.html
COMMENT by I&R ~ GB:
Berlusconi could lose immunity/Importance of electoral veto.
Italy is unusual in having the citizens' initiative at national level.
Although this can only be used to annul a law or part of a law, and not
to introduce a new law, it is a powerful democratic tool.
We need more democracy like this in UK and other countries. See our
campaign at http://www.iniref.org /
Also in the USA there are campaigns to introduce I and R (nationwide
initiative and referendum), such as http://vote.org /
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POWERFUL ALLIANCES FOR CHANGE THROUGH DIRECT DEMOCRACY
Among at least eighty (80) well-established civic and pro-environment
group-alliances the following (sample) have endorsed the aims of "More
Democracy", a 5000 member-strong group based in Germany. More Democracy
(Mehr Demokratie e.V.) shares with I&R ~ GB (www.iniref.org)
the
aim to introduce the citizens' initiative and binding referendum at
all levels of governance.
The full list of organisations with links to their web sites may be
found
here http://www.mehr-demokratie.de/497.html
EXAMPLES FROM THE LIST OF ENDORSER
Friends of the Earth
Society against cruelty to animals
Environmental protection league (country-wide alliance of citizens'
groups)
Association of Energy Consumers
Society against Animal Experimentation -- Pro-Animal-Rights
Young Ecologists Society
Wind Energy Society
Natural Therapy Society
Nature Protection Society
Society for Protection of Animals, Germany
Friends of Nature Germany
Eurosolar
Pedestrians Association
Gene - Ethics Network
Green Youth
Green League
Physicians for Social Responsibility IPPNW (anti-nuclear-power)
Nature protection, Youth
Robin Wood (pro-environment)
Green Businesspeople
Vegetarian Society, Germany
Transport Club Germany (pro-environment, VCD)
WEED Global economics, Ecology and Development
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I&R ~ GB Citizens' Initiative and Referendum
Campaign for direct democracy in Britain
http://www.iniref.org
/
Discuss or comment at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/democracy-forum
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