Sergio D'Elia, Secretary of HOC

ITALY. RESOLUTION FOR UN MORATORIUM APPROVED AT LOWER HOUSE

October 19, 2006: the Foreign Commission of Italy’s Lower House approved a resolution for a UN moratorium on capital executions, despite government opposition.
During the debate the government proposed to amend the resolution lodged by Sergio D'Elia, Secretary of Hands Off Cain and MP for the Rosa nel Pugno, and undersigned by all the parliament groups that asked for prompt enforcement of what was passed unanimously by the Lower House on July 27: a motion for the presentation at the UN General Assembly of a resolution for a universal moratorium on capital executions, with view to complete abolition.
The government's proposal was to submit this year a simple declaration against the death penalty and to postpone the eventual presentation of the resolution to next year’s UN General Assembly.  
The Foreign Commission didn't accept the government’s proposal, considering it to be out of line with the measure approved in July.
D'Elia declared that, "Today's vote reaffirmed the parliament's role and dignity, too often violated by the executive power. The government now has only one option: to present immediately, at the UN General Assembly currently underway, not a generic declaration against the death penalty, but a resolution for a universal moratorium, which has a markedly different political value." (Sources: HOC, 19/10/2006)