1. Resignation
We ask Berlusconi to resign immediately.
In no other democratic country a prime minister, under investigation for such serious accusations, would remain in office. All Italian citizens, of whatever political persuasion, should be aware that the image of their country will be profoundly damaged if Berlusconi will remain in place.
2. Presence classroom
We ask Silvio Berlusconi not to use television to defend themselves and discredit the judges with its considerable media power, but to present to the judges as it would any citizen. In court, Mr Berlusconi will still benefit from having signed the highest paid lawyers in the country. We hope for him and for Italy, which is able to prove his innocence. Since Berlusconi and his supporters argue that the courts are hopelessly biased against it, remember that more than one occasion he was granted the benefit of the doubt. If Mondadori, for example, the court judged in November 2001, the position of capo del Governo una “circostanza attenuante” che, unicamente nel suo caso, fece cadere in prescrizione l’accusa.
3. Il ruolo del Presidente della Repubblica
In una situazione in cui due dei principali poteri dello Stato – la magistratura e l’esecutivo – si affrontano in uno scontro estremamente pericoloso per il futuro della Repubblica, chiediamo al Presidente Napolitano di valutare la situazione e di intervenire tempestivamente, entro i limiti previsti dalla Costituzione.
4. I partiti di opposizione
Chiediamo a tutti i partiti di opposizione di mettere da parte le loro divergenze e di abbandonare qualsiasi desiderio di primeggiare, chiedendo invece con una sola voce le dimissioni del Premier.
5. Società civile
Invitiamo le numerose associazioni e le centinaia di migliaia di cittadini che si riconoscono nella società civile a concentrare le loro forze e a unirsi in una linea d’azione comune. Chiediamo soprattutto al mondo cattolico di esortare il Vaticano a pronunciarsi su una questione di etica pubblica così rilevante.
Abbiamo scritto questo appello sia in inglese che in italiano per mandare un messaggio a tutti coloro che all’estero amano la nostra democrazia e le sorti del nostro Paese. Non perdete la fiducia nell’Italia! Abbiamo bisogno della vostra solidarietà e del vostro aiuto.
CLICCA QUI PER FIRMARE L'APPELLO, E DIFFONDILO!
1. Resignation.
We call upon Silvio Berlusconi to resign immediately from his post as Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri. In no other democratic country would a Prime Minister, faced with such serious legal accusations, remain in office longer than a few hours. All Italian citizens, of whatever political persuasion, must realise that the image of their country is profoundly tainted if Berlusconi remains in office.
2. Attendance in court.
We call upon Silvio Berlusconi not to defend himself on television, using his substantial mediatic power to discredit the magistrates, but to present himself in court and seek to defend himself there, as would any normal citizen. Once in court, he can in any case hope to benefit from the services of the highest paid lawyers in the country. We sincerely hope, for his sake and that of the country, that he is able to demonstrate his innocence. If he and his supporters reply that the judges are irremediably biased against him, we would like to point out that on more than one occasion in the past he has been given the benefit of the doubt by the courts. In the Mondadori case, for example, the court judged in 2001 his position as Head of Government to be part of the ‘extenuating circumstances’ which in his case alone allowed the crime to be prescribed.
3. The role of the President of the Republic
In a situation in which two of the principal powers of the state – the magistracy and the executive – are on a head-on collision course of considerable danger for the future of the Republic, we call upon its President to observe closely the situation and to be prepared to intervene actively, naturally within the limits of the powers ascribed to his office by the Constitution.
4. The opposition parties
We call upon all the parties of the opposition to put aside their differences and to abandon any jockeying for position, uniting instead their voices in a single request of a single word: RESIGNATION.
5. Civil Society
We invite the many associations and the hundreds of thousands of members of civil society to do the same, pooling their resources and joining hands on a single line of action. We would particularly appeal to Catholic civil society to deplore the hesitations and silences of the Vatican on so important an issue of public ethics.
6. The friends of Italy in the world
We have written this appeal in English as well as Italian in order to reach all those abroad who are friends of Italian democracy. Do not despair of Italy! The country needs your solidarity and help.
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