28 March 2006

Ignazio Messina: a candidate with Italia dei Valori

Sciacca – Sicily

I’m publishing this letter from Ignazio Messina, a candidate with Italia dei Valori.

“I’m a candidate for the Senato in the Regions of Veneto and Sicily with Italia dei Valori - Di Pietro’s Party. I share the same moral principles and I am completely engaged with the election programme, as all of this is in line with my personal, professional and political history. I’m a civil lawyer, and I’m also involved with the family farm. I’m married and have 2 splendid daughters. I don’t need to make money from politics.
In 1991 I was one of the founders of la Rete (The Net), Leoluca Orlando’s movement (He is now an Italia dei Valori candidate) and I have been associated with Italia dei Valori from the start. I was a student on the political training course at the centro Pedro Arrupe in Palermo led by Padre Sorge and Padre Pintacuda.
In 1993, at the age of 28, I was elected Mayor of Sciacca, the second town in the Province of Agrigento, with 12,000 votes, having fought only with la Rete against all the other Parties. They were abundantly compromised in previous administrations. I tried to promote a serious renewal of the local political scene. In this effort I found opposition from people of the calibre of Calogero Mannino, ex minister with the DC and Michelangelo Russo, a senator with the DS, both from Sciacca.
In 1997, I was re-elected in an isolated political situation with the Lista Messina (la Rete no longer existed and Italia dei Valori hadn’t yet been founded) and only supported by Rifondazione Comunista and the 12,000 citizens who showed their trust in me.

Because I was engaged in the fight against the mafia and after having been subject to many acts of intimidation, from February 1996 to June 2001 I lived an escorted life. First the local Police performed this duty and after my term of office finished I was protected by the Police and by the Carabinieri. Together with many friends who took part in this experience and with the contribution of people who are of good intention and honest, we set in motion a process of moral revival of city politics. We took a chance that the rule of law can gain the upper hand in relation to bad actions, and that rights could beat abuses that unfortunately were widespread in the past. But it is well known that the worst interest can get the upper hand and thus all those who had been removed from power in the city by the citizens, formed a coalition and passed a “no confidence” motion against me, well knowing that I could not be a candidate for a third term (the law does not allow this). Even though I was outside the institutions I continued my engagement to prevent the business logic from getting the upper hand in politics.

In 2001, I was at the top of the list for Italia dei Valori in West Sicily for the elections to the Lower House for the proportional vote (about 50,000 votes) and in the Sciacca College for the majority voting (7%).

Finally in 2004, I was a candidate for the Town Council, once more in an isolated position because the other parties of the Centre Left (apart from Rifondazione Comunista and Verdi) refused to have Primaries to choose the candidate for Mayor and to define a political programme. This was aimed at guaranteeing the continuation of a failing administrative experience (1999-2004) so much so that the previous Mayor chose not to offer himself for re-election. I was elected with the list that carries my name together with 3 other councillors. The list got the most votes with more than 13% of the ballot. At a local level we had a civic government with political representation on the right and on the left, where our presence represented as explicitly declared by the allies: a guarantee of the rule of law.

For Italia dei Valori, I was one of the national organising group and was the spokesperson in Sicily up until 2004 and right now I am a member of the regional committee.

I am convinced that the mafia and the crooks are not conquered by codes and abbreviations but by people working within institutions and with facts, governed by the respect for the law and not by resorting to compromise nor by taking account of the interest of “someone”. This is true even if that “someone” is of the same political grouping. This must not be action to the detriment of others.

I am convinced that true politics must be at the service of the citizens. It must be supportive and engaged in by those who are not fearful to take courageous choices. It must be demonstrated by each person’s personal history. For these reasons I am convinced that we must give strength to Antonio Di Pietro and to Italia dei Valori".

Ignazio Messina

Posted by Antonio Di Pietro in Politics